Doug Bracewell

A promising fast bowler who rose into the limelight with a sensational bowling performance against Australia in Hobart back in 2011, Bracewell will be pretty disappointed with the fact that he went off the radar very soon and last played a Test match way back in 2016. Son and nephew of Brendon and John Bracewell who had played for New Zealand, cricket was in his blood. 

As a matter of fact, his uncle was also the coach of the New Zealand team. Seeing his potential at a very early age, Bracewell was picked for the U 19 World Cup in 2010. Very soon he graduated himself into a first-class cricketer after being awarded a maiden senior team call-up for the tour of Zimbabwe in October 2011. 

He had a dream start to his international career. Bracewell bagged a 5 wicket haul in the 2nd innings of his debut Test and followed it up with a match-winning performance against Australia in December 2011 when he bagged 6/40 at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart and bowled New Zealand to a Test victory in Australia after 26 years. However since his exploits with the ball in his initial Test series, Bracewell never really managed to make his mark in the longest format and slowly he fell off the radar and has remained out of the Test team since 2016. 

Bracewell’s career has also been marred with other off-field issues. During the series against India in 2014, Jesse Ryder and Bracewell was suspended from the team as the duo drank late in the night just a day before a Test match. Both of them were dropped from the squad for the 2014 T20 World Cup. His appearances became few and far between in the coming years and never really managed to cement his place in the side since then. 

Bracewell was bought back for Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand for the 2020-21 season. He was also part of the New Zealand A squad and looked pretty impressive with the ball in the practice matches. Despite being such a talented bowler, it will be difficult for Bracewell to maintain his place in the side owing to a large pool of fast bowlers who have already made a name for themselves in a short span of time.