Australia Cricket Players
Nathan Bracken
Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year - 2001
Nathan Wade Bracken (born September 12, 1977 in Penrith, New South Wales) is a professional Australian cricketer. He is married to Haley Rich-Bracken, and they have a son named Chas. Bracken's trademark is his long shoulder length blonde hair which he wears with a head-band while bowling. Many commentators and cricket fans have compared him to Australian Idol television host Andy G, which he is thus nicknamed.
A left arm fast bowler, Bracken made his debut for his state, New South Wales, in the 1998-1999 season after attending the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy the year before. Tall and capable of swinging the ball both ways, Bracken quickly established himself in domestic cricket.
In the 2000-2001 season Bracken made his debut for Australia in a ODI match against West Indies and established himself as a regular member of that squad. Despite this, a shoulder injury in 2001 saw him lose his place until the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, where he was a part of the World Cup winning squad.
Due to a wealth of fast bowling talent in Australia, Bracken has only recently become a regular fixture in the Australian ODI team, however he has struggled to find a place in the Test team. He has played only five Test matches, his debut coming in December 2003 versus India in Brisbane.
He has established himself as one the top fast bowlers in Australian state cricket, and in December 2004 took the remarkable figures of 7 for 4 in a Pura Cup game against South Australia in Sydney, figures that have rarely been bettered in the history of first-class cricket around the world.
In recent times, Bracken has emerged as one of the leading ODI bowlers in the world, being ranked at 3 in the International Cricket Council's official ratings as of December 1, 2007.
- Full name: Nathan Wade Bracken
- Born : September 12, 1977, Penrith, New South Wales
- Batting style : Right-hand bat
- Bowling style : Left-arm fast-medium
- Test debut : Australia v India at Brisbane, Dec 4-8, 2003
- ODI debut : Australia v West Indies at Melbourne, Jan 11, 2001
