Bracken puts a new spin on bid for Test selection.

[Paddlesmack]

Lol, Bracken bowls spin already anyways. All he does is bowl two overs of some swing bowling, and then it's the stump-to-stump-keeper-up-spin-bowling-with-a-long-run-up thing.

How he's the number one ODI bowler is beyond me...

 

[NZTailender]

Pattato hasn't checked in yet, hopefully he hasn't gone for the noose.

 

[Richard]

Lol, Bracken bowls spin already anyways. All he does is bowl two overs of some swing bowling, and then it's the stump-to-stump-keeper-up-spin-bowling-with-a-long-run-up thing.

How he's the number one ODI bowler is beyond me...

Perhaps because being good at ODI bowling involves precisely that? If it was so easy, everyone would do it.

 

[Precambrian]

I am sure I'll be having a sore belly due to laughing if I see Bracken being included in the test team as a "spinner".

 

[Uppercut]

I am sure I'll be having a sore belly due to laughing if I see Bracken being included in the test team as a "spinner".

Did you get taken into hospital when you saw Nathan Hauritz?

 

[Precambrian]

Did you get taken into hospital when you saw Nathan Hauritz?

Nah, luckily I missed that test!

 

[Furball]

Still struggling to understand why Bracken hasn't been given more of a chance in Tests.

His domestic FC record is superior to just about every bowler Australia have atm.

 

[Top_Cat]

Still struggling to understand why Bracken hasn't been given more of a chance in Tests.

His domestic FC record is superior to just about every bowler Australia have atm.

Should be thankful for what he gets, was an undeserved pick in the first place ahead of Matt Inness and a few others.

 

[pup11]

Still struggling to understand why Bracken hasn't been given more of a chance in Tests.

His domestic FC record is superior to just about every bowler Australia have atm.

When Bracken last played test cricket he wasn't good enough as he didn't have the kind of variety he has now, but over the period of time his bowling has improved tremendously and his FC bowling stats in recent seasons prove that, and that is why its beyond me why he would like to give up on something that's going well for him, and its not as if as soon as he switches to spin he would turn himself into Bedi' second-coming, so i think Bracken is pretty much wasting his time.

 

[Richard]

Should be thankful for what he gets, was an undeserved pick in the first place ahead of Matt Inness and a few others.

Yeah but that was in 2003/04 - he and Brad Williams jumped the queue, ridiculously, and the team paid the price. Bracken's First-Class average up to the end of that season was 29.50.

He's deserved a few more opportunities since 2004/05, though, since when he averages a really rather fabulous 20.46. There's precious little evidence either Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait are better bowlers, even if they might (and it's no more than a might) have more potential.

 

[four_or_six]

One of the problems when you're a ODI regular is playing enough to push your case for tests. Also, you would have thought he could be pushing this season whilst the test tour was on, but he's spent the whole time injured until the last match. Now I think in terms of lefties, Bollinger is definitely in the queue ahead of him and that's probably fair enough.

 

[Top_Cat]

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.

 

[Precambrian]

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.

AWTA. There is nothing suggesting Bracken could be an attacking bowler in tests, despite the brilliant average he has in ODIs. Kind of Yuvraj of bowlers. However would have loved to see him given a chance to fail against NZ. I fear his time is past.

 

[Matt79]

I have no problem with him wanting to bowl left arm medium-fast, left arm spin, so long as he goes on to complete the final leg of the Sobers trilogy and develops his batting to the point he can average 58 in tests...

 

[Richard]

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.

While not disputing the fact that this is a perfectly viable possibility (and certainly it was clearly what happened with him all career 1998/99 to 2003/04, and thus his First-Class record was very moderate) you'd think he'd deserve a bit more than 2 Tests to try to show it wasn't the case.

Since becoming a genuinely good rather than middling performer in Pura\SS cricket, 2 Tests is all that Bracken's had. Seems a bit unfair given that relatively moderate bowlers like Johnson and Tait, who've done far less, get gigs. Then you look at Siddle doing so... well, Bracken must be sick as a pig. Heck, even Stuart Clark, who did pretty well for a fairly long time (2000/01 to 2005/06 he averaged 27) didn't do quite so well as Bracken has.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

However would have loved to see him given a chance to fail against NZ. I fear his time is past.

Bracken would've destroyed NZ at the Gabba.

 

[Prince EWS]

Should be thankful for what he gets, was an undeserved pick in the first place ahead of Matt Inness and a few others.

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.

 

[Precambrian]

Bracken would've destroyed NZ at the Gabba.

Maybe, that's why I said he should've been given a chance. Might as well start concentrating on ODI and 20-20 (IPL) since he is no longer a part of Aus's test plans.

 

[Precambrian]

Can someone clarify pls why Bracken didnt play an ODI in 2004, despite averaging 13 in the previous year?

 

[Matt79]

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