Despite owning a fantastic Test bowling record, Australian quick Jackson Bird still hasn’t won over many observers. Yesterday Bird again proved effective as Australia edged Pakistan on day one of the Boxing Day Test.
I’m one of those people who haven’t been fully convinced by the tall Tasmanian seamer, even though he’s taken 32 wickets at an average of 26 from his eight Tests.
Numbers as impressive as those should make a bowler an automatic Test selection.
But for some reason they haven’t – not in my eyes, not in the eyes of a lot of Australian fans and, crucially, not in the eyes of the Australian selectors. Bird’s eight Tests have been spread out across four years due to the fact that he’s so frequently been behind other bowlers in the pecking order.
When Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson were Australia’s first choice new ball pair, up until 18 months ago, Bird was ranked behind the likes of Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson and Josh Hazlewood. Then, in a short space of time, Harris and Johnson retired and Siddle and Pattinson got injured.
After two-and-a-half years out of the team, Bird returned to the Australian XI in the Tests in New Zealand this February. He looked nervous at Wellington and lacked his trademark accuracy, returning figures of 1-103. In the deciding second Test, however, Bird had a big impact.
He collected seven wickets for the match, including the pivotal dismissal of Kiwi superstar Kane Williamson for 97 in the second dig. It was the kind of performance which can not only cement a player’s position with the selectors but also give the bowler an injection of confidence and of belonging in the side.
As the third seamer, Bird was always going to make way for a second spinner on the following Test tour of Sri Lanka. But he had every right to expect he’d be straight back into the line-up for the first Test of this home summer. Instead Bird was overlooked for Siddle.
The Victorian veteran had played just one first-class match since returning from his long injury layoff, taking three wickets. Bird played in that same Sheffield Shield game and grabbed six poles.
Yet he was leapfrogged by Siddle. When Siddle re-injured his back in that first Test against South Africa, Bird was shafted again. This time it was Joe Mennie who pushed in front of him.
The selectors apparently considered Bird and Mennie equals as red ball bowlers but favoured Mennie because of his superior tail end batting. Mennie’s stay was short lived.
He was one of five players from the team for the Hobart Test later culled as the selectors reacted savagely to an egregious performance.
Finally, in the day-night Test at Adelaide, Bird was reinstated. He delivered a sturdy performance, although he again looked nervy as he had in Wellington. In the following Test at Brisbane we got to see a more confident Bird. He was the self-assured, methodical operator we’d seen in the Shield for years.
On a Brisbane deck which offered little to the bowlers Bird set about landing delivery after delivery on a good length on or just outside off. It was unspectacular, but a pace bowling method as tried and true as any in Test history. The same approach which has brought Hazlewood great success in his career worked for Bird.
Among match figures of 6-133, Bird twice removed Pakistan captain Misbah ul-Haq. He made it three from three for the series yesterday when he had Misbah caught at short leg from an inside edge. Just four overs earlier he had dismissed Pakistan’s other key batsman Younis Khan, bowled through the gate by a classic off cutter.
Those wickets came during a marathon 10-over spell from Bird. In knocking over Pakistan’s two most experienced players he turned the match firmly in Australia’s favour. It was a fantastic spell from Bird on a pitch which was great for batting.
While the highly-rated Starc ill-advisedly bowled short ball after short ball, and rarely looked threatening, Bird pitched the ball up, regularly striking that in-between length which catches batsmen in two minds.
Bird didn’t do anything remarkable. His skills were subtle – there was no searing pace, intimidating bouncers, spearing yorkers or befuddling swing. It was understated but effective.
That pretty much sums up Bird. He tends to look a tad innocuous. When I watch him bowl I never find myself thinking, “Gee this guy is good”, like I often do while observing Starc and Hazlewood.
Still, Bird gets the job done. Or at least he has regularly in his brief Test career. With eight wickets at 23 so far in this series, you’d think his spot should be safe for the third Test. That security won’t last long though as Australia’s next series is in India where, barring injury to Starc or Hazlewood, he won’t be needed.
By the time Australia are again ready to play three quicks in their XI after the Indian series Bird could again find himself vaulted by the likes of Pattinson, Siddle or Pat Cummins. Bird’s Test career has been fruitful yet bumpy. For now, it looks like staying that way.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Not a bad side there James. The only question mark I'd have is P Handscomb as wk. it would be amazing if he could keep somewhere between Wade and Nevill AND maintain his current form with the bat. I wonder if the selectors will ask him where he thinks his keeping is considering he hasn't been keeping for a long time. The Great Wall of China length of India's batting line up may force the selectors to do something this drastic. We would need to see him keep for at least 1 Shield game first and Nevill should definitely be on tour. But if Wade is so self indulgent to think he should be batting above Maxwell when test spots were on the line, what are the chances he will give up his gloves to Handscomb.
Bakkies
Guest
Bird has missed a fair amount of Cricket in that four year period through injury Starc provides the variety. Australia won an Ashes Series 5-0 with Clark and McGrath in the pace attack I thought Starc bowled too short in Brisbane when the conditions were more suited to pitching it up to get movement
Nudge
Guest
I haven't heard anyone call him an all time great. I have heard people say that the way he has bowled in test match cricket the past year that he is currently one of the best 3 or 4 quicks in the world. If you have a look at is average the past year and consider he just made the icc test team of the year, it's pretty difficult to disagree with those people
greg munro
Guest
I do not know where this writer obtained his so called expertise in Cricket. He continually talks about Bird almost in the past tense as if every test or opportunity is his last. I have been listening to ex Captains over the past two days who openly give Bird the best credentials of all three pacemen. When pacemen are suffering injuries almost on a weekly basis you write Bird off for the India tour. Take a harder look at all stats available on this bloke and then tell me the speed at which McGrath AVERAGED throughout his test career, not a great difference between he and Bird. Then remind Marsh of McGrath's Batting averages. Bird has been written off in more ways than one but refuses to use any excuses and rather praises his team mates for their good play. Your reflections are yet another slight on the career of an excellent test player and team man and one more than capable of taking wickets in the sub-continent. GM
Rob
Guest
I agree. Starc is testing the batsmen on a regular basis and is rarely being hit with the full face of the bat. Bird on the other hand has surprised me with his consistent length hitting the bails. I do think the batsmen are a little more switched on when Starc is bowling and get a little more attacking when Bird is bowling a foot wider of off stump. On an Indian deck this length gets driven but on an Australian pitch it can get a bit higher on the bat and cause indecision. He will pick up wickets on a pitch which seems and bounces.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
91 wickets at 23.89 in the past 2 years. At 26yo his best is ahead of him
bill
Roar Rookie
That's fine. People talk like he's an all time great though. Let's have five years of it before he becomes this mythical figure. How long ago was it that Warne questioned his spot?
qwetzen
Guest
"I’d like to see you “quantify” RPO off Starc by breaking it down to edges to the boundary and runs off the middle of the bat. I’ll bet the edges win." Yeah! Obviously Starc is the only bowler in the world whose RPO is effected by edges/mis-fields/poor captaincy and acts of God. Jeez! You people.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Cheers Yangbong, Bird used to be an absolute rank number 11 batsman but he has improved.
Rob JM
Guest
If Lyon continues his form against Pakistan (ave 100) then he won't be playing in Sydney. The the batsmen/spinners will be turning it the opposite way to SOK.
Yangbong
Guest
Great article Ronan. I expressed dismay when Mennie was selected in front of Bird. I couldn't believe you could choose a like-for-like replacement for a guy who just always gets the job done. He is innocuous no doubt, I would take a fit Pattinson or Cummins in front of him but for the time being I hope he has silenced his critics. Scored some handy runs last test too, so not a total bunny with the bat.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
"Bird didn’t set the world on fire in England last tour which surprised me as the conditions should have suited him." Bird clearly doesn't enjoy bowling with the Dukes ball - he has a much worse record in first-class cricket in England than Australia. Bird has taken 52 wickets at an average of 38 in first-class cricket in England, compared to an average in the low 20s in Australia.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
"Surely he wouldn’t be leapfrogged by Siddle?" Well he was just last month, despite having taken 7 wickets in his previous Test!
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Rob I've often thought the same - that Bird is very similar in style to Hazlewood and Australia could at times benefit from some variety, perhaps through someone like Sayers, who is much shorter and swings it both ways. But Bird keeps getting the job done.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Starc has taken 86 wickets at an average of 23 in the past eighteen months. He was just named in the 2016 ICC Test Team of the Year.
Don Freo
Guest
I'd like to see you "quantify" RPO off Starc by breaking it down to edges to the boundary and runs off the middle of the bat. I'll bet the edges win. Bowling swinging yorkers at 145 kph with a new ball will do me. If Smith used him as first change, he'd be replaced as captain.
Adsa
Guest
Agree, Bird looks better than Siddle in the tests I have seen. Time for the Sids to call it quits with his low pace offerings.
Nudge
Guest
No way he's got looser. Typical fickle cricket supporter. Held our attack together the last 10 tests averaging around 20 in that time, he has one bad day and all of a sudden he can't control the red ball and should be bowling first change. Laughable.
qwetzen
Guest
"Starc almost always gets a wicket in the first few overs of an innings". That's very, very wrong. When he was first given the new ball I kept count of the number of times he took a wicket in his first spell. Iirc, it was about his 17th attempt before he took his first wicket. And I'd very much like to see you quantify "improved his accuracy". It's certainly not reflected in his RPO. Imo, he's got looser. And besides... a better *and* faster recent bowler than Starc was forced to spend a lot of his career bowling 1st change so why not Starc?
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Guest
The ball from Bird that went between bat and pad to dismiss Younis Khan was an absolute peach. And from then on he looked capable of taking a wicket with every ball. Not sure how many edges from Bird's bowling went through to third man but it was getting pretty frustrating yelling at the TV for Smith to put in a third slip. I love the way Bird bowls. He's not express pace so he has to put it on a length and hope for a bit of sideways nibble and movement to get an edge or a bowled or LBW - a bit like Alderman, McGrath and Hazlewood. He's so far ahead of Siddle now its not funny and why Mennie was chosen ahead of him in Hobart is a complete mystery. Bird didn't set the world on fire in England last tour which surprised me as the conditions should have suited him. But he looks very threatening in this series.