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Full name Nathan Wade Bracken
Born September 12, 1977, Penrith, New South Wales
Current age 31 years 80 days
Major teams Australia,Bangalore Royal Challengers,Gloucestershire,New South Wales,Worcestershire
Nickname Bracks, Andy G (Australian Idol host)
Playing role Bowler
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Left-arm fast-medium
Height
1.95 m
Education Faulconbridge Primary; Springwood High School
Batting and fielding averages
Mat
Inns
NO
Runs
HS
Ave
BF
SR
100
50
4s
6s
Ct
St
Tests
5
6
2
70
37
17.50
112
62.50
0
0
7
0
2
0
ODIs
92
25
12
164
21*
12.61
232
70.68
0
0
8
5
17
0
T20Is
12
2
1
7
4
7.00
6
116.66
0
0
0
0
3
0
First-class
64
85
30
973
63
17.69
0
1
17
0
List A
174
59
22
339
21*
9.16
0
0
28
0
Twenty20
19
5
3
14
7*
7.00
10
140.00
0
0
0
1
3
0
Bowling averages
Mat
Inns
Balls
Runs
Wkts
BBI
BBM
Ave
Econ
SR
4w
5w
10
Tests
5
10
1110
505
12
4/48
4/71
42.08
2.72
92.5
1
0
0
ODIs
92
92
4481
3238
148
5/47
5/47
21.87
4.33
30.2
5
2
0
T20Is
12
12
233
253
15
3/11
3/11
16.86
6.51
15.5
0
0
0
First-class
64
12890
5385
205
7/4
26.26
2.50
62.8
8
0
List A
174
8659
6194
248
5/38
5/38
24.97
4.29
34.9
8
3
0
Twenty20
19
19
394
458
22
3/11
3/11
20.81
6.97
17.9
0
0
0
Career statistics
Test debut
Australia v India at Brisbane, Dec 4-8, 2003 scorecard
Last Test
Australia v South Africa at Perth, Dec 16-20, 2005 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut
Australia v West Indies at Melbourne, Jan 11, 2001 scorecard
Last ODI
Australia v Bangladesh at Darwin, Sep 6, 2008 scorecard
ODI statistics
T20I debut
Australia v South Africa at Brisbane, Jan 9, 2006 scorecard
Last T20I
Australia v India at Melbourne, Feb 1, 2008 scorecard
T20I statistics
First-class debut
1998/99
Last First-class
Western Australia v New South Wales at Perth, Oct 10-13, 2008 scorecard
List A debut
1998/99
Last List A
New South Wales v Tasmania at Sydney, Nov 29, 2008 scorecard
Twenty20 debut
Australia A v Pakistanis at Adelaide, Jan 13, 2005 scorecard
Last Twenty20
Australia v India at Melbourne, Feb 1, 2008 scorecard
Profile
The search for a Test-class left-armer, a universal pursuit, led Australia to Nathan Bracken. Tall and slim, Bracken bowls a full length, moves the ball both ways in the air and off the seam and fitted easily into Australia's rampant one-day squad in 2000-01. He was also instrumental in resuscitating New South Wales' fortunes, including a first-innings 6 for 27 in their 2004-05 final win over Queensland and 7 for 4 earlier that season when South Australia fell for 29. A shoulder injury cut short his maiden Ashes tour in 2001 after two matches, but following a spell on the sidelines he returned to the national colours during the 2003 World Cup, when Jason Gillespie dropped out with a heel injury.
His Test debut finally came in 2003-04, but in three outings against the powerful Indian batting line-up he failed to make real inroads. In 2004 he was omitted from Cricket Australia's list of contracted players, but returned to the ODI scene for the 2005 Super Series and became a regular in green and gold. Work in the nets refining his swing was rewarded with two Tests in 2005-06 and he also added another string by delivering across the seam when he wanted to defend.
His versatility and control led to 46 ODI wickets for 2006, the second most in the world, and at times during the 2006 Champions Trophy he opened the attack, dropping Glenn McGrath to first change. In 17 matches between the South Africa tour and the end of the CB Series he picked up at least a wicket in each game and he missed only one match at the World Cup, capturing 16 victims in his second campaign.
The steady rise reached its peak after the 2008 West Indies tour when he became the No. 1-ranked one-day bowler, his 34 wickets in the previous home campaign boosting his ratings. The West Indies series was also an important step following what could have been a career-ending knee injury. He required surgery and when the doctor scraped away the cartilage it was like "old paint peeling off a wall". Bracken, whose mother-in-law occasionally predicts his performances, faces a regular tussle with Mitchell Johnson for the position as the country's No. 1 left-armer. Cricinfo staff September 2008
