Prince EWS
Global Moderator
They still play four-day cricket in New South Wales, I hear. Stunning news I know.Precambrian said:Might as well start concentrating on ODI and 20-20 (IPL) since he is no longer a part of Aus's test plans.
They still play four-day cricket in New South Wales, I hear. Stunning news I know.Precambrian said:Might as well start concentrating on ODI and 20-20 (IPL) since he is no longer a part of Aus's test plans.
That, and he generally only swings the ball away from the right-hander so the feeling is that they can watch him go all day because he won't threaten their stumps. If he learnt to bowl around the wicket he could be a real handful in longer-form cricket anyway, but lefties never seem to like doing so.I think Bracks' lack of seam movement is against him too. On pitches other than raging nightmares, he tends to just kiss the surface on the way through to the 'keeper. The perception seems to be that he takes ODI wickets at a decent clip becaus the batsmen are going after him whereas in a Test, they just have to wait for the loose one and put it away because you know it's not going to hav a lot of zip on it.
Haha. Yeah, I was thinking about only International engagements.They still play four-day cricket in New South Wales, I hear. Stunning news I know.
I disagree that he should focus on limited overs cricket just because that's his own chance of playing for his country, though. He can obviously go that way if that's what he wants but I'd personally be disappointed by such a decision.Haha. Yeah, I was thinking about only International engagements.
I reckon it will work, to an extent. Most of the international players who did well in the IPL had some strong first-class experience behind them, and I reckon that will continue to be the case in the forseeable future. If players like Bracken put in the hard yards in first class cricket I think other things will take care of themselves.Whilst I don't think this'll actually work, I agree with Goughy in that it shows a lot of ambition, comittment and well-placed priorities. A lot of cricketers would be content being one of the best ODI bowlers in the world and earning huge money in the IPL but Bracken wants to be a Test cricketer and he's willing to put in serious work in attempting to get there: good on him.
Can someone clarify pls why Bracken didnt play an ODI in 2004, despite averaging 13 in the previous year?
Bracken only played the ODIs he played in 2003/04 (and 2000/01) as a backup player. He wasn't yet a first-choice. And with McGrath, Gillespie, Brett Lee, Hogg, Bichel, Kasprowicz and even Ian Harvey and Shane Watson (massively inferior bowlers but capable with the bat), it's not that surprising.Can't recall, but imagine it must have been due to injury.
EDIT: Seemingly not looking at Cricinfo - his disappointing test debut must have been held against him, which makes little sense in retrospect
I don't think the two impact on each other. Some good First-Class players are also good OD players, but ability in First-Class cricket is irrelevant to ability in OD cricket. Being a poor FC cricketer won't hold you back if your OD skills are good enough and being good at FC cricket certainly won't help you if you don't possess the essential OD skills.I reckon it will work, to an extent. Most of the international players who did well in the IPL had some strong first-class experience behind them, and I reckon that will continue to be the case in the forseeable future. If players like Bracken put in the hard yards in first class cricket I think other things will take care of themselves.
It's basically rubbish to suggest that players such as Watson/Marsh played well in the IPL because they are T20 specialists who just whack the ball around. They are well developed players who have a reasonable amount of first class experience as well as Australia A and U19 behind them. I still think the best way to become one of the top players in the IPL (and for that matter in international limited overs cricket) is to have a solid first class career behind you. Maybe Warner will make me eat my words but...
Bracken?That, and he generally only swings the ball away from the right-hander so the feeling is that they can watch him go all day because he won't threaten their stumps.
I'm just passing on perceived knowledge based on what a lot of others have said about him. In truth i hardly see him because i watch so few ODIs.Bracken?
I've seen Bracken move the ball back into the right-handers plenty. It's Mitchell Johnson who struggles to do that (though he's shown enough that we know he isn't completely incapable of doing so).
Totally DWTA, but I think we've had that conversation before so I won't start it again.I don't think the two impact on each other. Some good First-Class players are also good OD players, but ability in First-Class cricket is irrelevant to ability in OD cricket. Being a poor FC cricketer won't hold you back if your OD skills are good enough and being good at FC cricket certainly won't help you if you don't possess the essential OD skills.
You reckon? I don't think so. Has little to do with those Tests too, I just don't think he has the swing or seam movement to be a consistently good Test bowler. Has his moments in ODI's but he's a bowler you can sweat on a bit.I bet he really wishes he hadn't played those Tests, actually, as he hadn't developed properly as a bowler yet and it's still being held against him.
If Bracken hadn't been picked for Tests too early and looked completely dire I'm almost positive he'd be in the team right now.
Seriously, who would you drop right now? Johnson's been Australia's best wicket-taker for a while, Lee's just hit some form again and Clark surely isn't far away.Surely, though, you'd agree that he deserves more than 2 Tests to show whether he has more than he appears based on ODIs to do?
Because as I said, that's all he's had since he ceased to be a wholly moderate bowler and became a pretty decent one. For NSW in the four-day game, that is.
Yeah but it's pretty obvious selection isn't done just on the basis of stats. You just get a sense for when a player is a big-match cricketer and there's issues of balance, which personalities seem to work best with each other, etc. Blokes like Siddle are that type which is why he got a game in India and hardly disgraced himself. That he pinged Gambhir on the helmet first ball with a bumper tells you about the sort of competitor he is. On stats, his selection wasn't warranted but he did enough in that game to enhance his chances of playing again immeasurably. For all we know, both Noffke and Bolly were arrogant ****s at training or a senior player had a word to Ponting saying "Reckon you need to have a look at Siddle, he's bowling good stuff/better than Noffke/Bolly right now" and that sealed the deal. Either that or Merv threw his weight behind a fellow aggressive Victorian fast bowler.Oh, right now, Johnson's in for at least another 3 or 4 games. The point about Bracken was more about Johnson playing ahead of him for the last year, Tait playing ahead of him once and the frankly downright ridiculous spectre of Siddle not merely getting in squad but team ahead of him. Bollinger has perhaps had a better case than any of the previous three too - Siddle at the very least.
And that of course applies to Noffke even more than Bracken or Bollinger, as Noffke has had neither 3 Tests when he was plain poor nor 2 after becoming better.
Oh forgive me, I must have missed the 15 paragraphs in the linked story where he said he was giving up the seam bowling totally for spin. I really must get my eyes checked.I will be glad to see an Australian team without Bracken than an Australian team with Bracken as a spinner. Bloody gives a message to the opposition right?
SWING bowler Nathan Bracken is trying a new pitch in an attempt to force his way back into the Australian Test squad - he's been working on his spin bowling skills.