INTERVIEW
Follow Us14 June 2023, Michael Bracewell’s life took a turn for the worse.
Just 113 days before the biggest tournament of his life, Bracewell ruptured his right Achilles while batting for Worcestershire, requiring lengthy rehabilitation. His dream of appearing in an ODI World Cup faded before his eyes.
“When I first had that injury, I was pretty gutted. Not being able to play cricket is pretty terrible. It gives you a little bit of perspective on how much you love the game and how much of a big part of your life it is. It was my first serious injury [right Achilles], and having that initially, I was gutted,” Bracewell recalled his injury in an exclusive conversation with Cricket.com.
“You feel like the world is against you and things like that. I quickly turned that around and focused on the rehab side of things. Once I had the surgery, I had the milestone of recovering, unlike sitting around and waiting. In rehab, you feel like you are getting better every week. Day to day, maybe you didn’t feel that much of a change, but in the following months, you felt that you were making progress.
“Being able to walk again was a huge milestone. Being able to run and, along with that, adding new cricket skills is keeping you more engaged in the rehab. By the end, it was a cool experience to teach yourself mentally, and it is cool to see how much you can achieve by just putting your mind to it,” he stated.
Bracewell was at the peak of his powers in the build-up to the global event in India after starring for the BlackCaps across the white-ball formats, be it with the bat or the ball. Just a year before, on April 2, 2022, the off-spinning all-rounder made his first big impression on the national team with a three-wicket haul against the Netherlands in Hamilton.
In the next few months, his career went up a notch when he starred in an incredible victory for the BlackCaps against Ireland in Dublin, where he not only bowled an economical spell (0/42 in 8 overs) but also put on a show with the bat, scoring an 82-ball 127, with ten fours and seven sixes. His century wasn’t the only reason he was in the headlines after his heroics.
At 153/6, New Zealand were staring down the barrel before the all-rounder came in like a guardian angel, building partnerships with the bowlers (mostly farming strike) in a get-out-of-jail performance, where he took the clash right down to the wire, scoring 20 runs in the last over against Craig Young.
“I would love to say that I go out there and plan all those things and say to the boys, yeah, this is what I’m going to do [tongue-in-cheek]. It is not that simple. Sometimes, cricket is a funny game, you find yourself in a whole set of different positions. I guess I’m a bit like you, I come out of it, thinking wow, that was a bit special. I have no idea how I did it. I think the preparation around trying to stay nice and present and just reacting to the ball. It puts me in a position to do those things,” the left-hander said, speaking about his heroic display.
Ten days later, in T20Is, the Wellington all-rounder picked up a hat-trick in his first ever over of his T20I career, cleaning up the tail, removing Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy and Young.
He then took his clutch performance to Asia, where he smacked a 125-ball 140 against a red-hot Indian side that had no clue whatsoever where to bowl to the left-hander, who showed a 360-degree game on the night.
So, what’s the secret behind his heroics?
“One part is never giving up, irrespective of the game situation, trying to stay nice and calm, stick to the things you know that made you successful,” Bracewell said.
“You would love to say that you go out there planning all those things, but the reality is different. I just try and stay focused on the next ball, and you end up in a position where you chased down 220 in a 20-over contest [against Central Districts in 2022 Super Smash], yeah, you don’t know how you did it.”
*****
Bracewell’s entry into cricket was natural. The rich heritage of the ‘Bracewell’ surname in the New Zealand cricketing fraternity welcomed the southpaw even before he knew what was dawning upon him.
Michael was two when he was first introduced to the cricketing world in a video of him bowling to his elder brother, James. The influence of cricket ran deep through the family, with both his uncles - John and Brendon - having played for New Zealand in the past. It wasn’t just that, John was later involved in the coaching side of things as well.
And then there was his cousin Doug Bracewell, who was around the same age as him. But cricket wasn’t the only sport in the family bloodline; his other uncles, Kevin and Doug, also famously played rugby, representing Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa Bush before his uncle Doug switched his allegiance to cricket.
A young Michael’s early days were similar. While cricket ran through his bloodline, he played rugby (winter), cricket (summer), and basketball before settling on cricket.
“A little later in life, cricket became serious and became the sole focus of my sporting endeavour. With that, you sort of train a lot harder and work on specific things. I enjoyed that part of it and narrowed my cricket skills down to perfect them. That’s something that we are doing as professional sportspeople: perfecting our skills. Even though it is probably not attainable, it is that constant pursuit of perfection every time,” Bracewell said, looking back at his career choice.
While there is that footage of him bowling, it wasn’t something he had envisioned for himself while rising through the ranks. Growing up, Bracewell was more than an able wicketkeeper and was attracted to the trade because ‘one is always in the game’. However, there was a catch.
There was Derek de Boorder, Otago’s first-choice wicketkeeper, putting Bracewell far too long in the field without being involved in the game. That frustration of not being involved in the game turned his attention towards picking up the ball professionally for the first time.
“When I broke into the first class team in New Zealand, I was the back-up wicketkeeper. I was out there in the field a lot, playing just as a batter. I guess I really enjoyed fielding, but it is a lot of time there if you don’t get to bowl or keep wickets. I always loved being involved in the game and make something happen. So, that’s where I developed the desire to learn how to bowl,” he said.
Even there, the Bracewell blood in the now 33-year-old turned his attention towards medium-pace bowling, joining his cousin Doug, who was more than an able pacer. Not too long after, Bracewell realised that his pace wouldn’t cut the corner, even domestically. That’s when the transition happened to off-spin - a trade where he immediately found home.
“I decided to take on off-spinning. I had a natural shape on the ball, but I didn’t have a lot of consistency. As I started working more and more, I learnt more about off-spin, and what you have to focus on but then also develop consistency. It was a lot of hard yards before I bowled in a game when my levels were on par with domestic cricket,” he recalled.
It wasn’t just the restlessness that prompted Bracewell to take up bowling, it was also to relieve the pressure that existed because of his role as a pure batter in the various setups.
“In some ways, it took pressure off my batting. I always put pressure on myself to go out there and make heaps of runs. The focus on bowling has helped me relax, go out there and enjoy the game. It is hugely refreshing,” he said.
Had he never learnt the art of off-spin, Bracewell’s biggest jump of his career - an Indian Premier League move to Royal Challengers Bengaluru - wouldn’t have been possible. The all-rounder made strong impressions in his debut season, having been roped in as an injury replacement for Will Jacks, with six wickets in five appearances, averaging a tremendous 15.8.
While he did not get a lot of opportunities with the bat, Bracewell certainly tried his best, scoring 58 runs at an average of 29 and a strike rate of 123.4 in the competition. However, the biggest upgrade for the all-rounder wasn’t the opportunities he got with the bat or the ball, but being able to share the dressing room with the likes of Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis.
“It was an amazing experience getting there and playing for RCB. I got picked up as an injury replacement, and that all happened really quickly, found out that I was going, and two weeks later, I was on a plane. I went in there without any expectations, I really loved my time at RCB; the players were very welcoming,” he said about his IPL experience.
“Every time you get to share the dressing room with the world’s best players, you can’t help but learn. The way they go about things, seeing Virat [Kohli], how he trains, and how specific he is. Faf and Maxi, too, had great seasons that year as well. I learned how they go about their game and how they go about training. They are all humans as well. They are vulnerable with you, and you sort of realise that we all are trying to do the same things,” he said.
“We are just seeking perfection. Some of them are a bit closer than others. It was very nice to see them on their own journeys, and it was fun to rub shoulders with them.”
*****
Nine months and two days after his injury, Michael Bracewell’s life blossomed into unexpected territory when he was announced as the captain of the New Zealand team.
Days before the squad announcement, Bracewell received a call from the head coach, Gary Stead. The call transformed his life when he least expected it. The 33-year-old, who was driving his car, had to pull over to a side when Stead broke the silence, giving Bracewell two good news: one, he was back in New Zealand’s setup and two, he was going to lead them.
“It was a huge moment, and I was really excited; leading the country is a huge honour. Got myself thinking a little bit about what it takes to be the captain, and I have done it domestically quite a lot, but it is a step up to international cricket,” Bracewell said.
“Getting my head around that, I found myself thinking about that a lot during the lead-up to the series but once you are out on the field, you have to make the decision in front of you. It was a great group to captain, with fresh and experienced players.”
While he wasn’t at his best in the series against Pakistan, it was always evident that he was going to play a major role in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States of America, where the pitches are quite spin-friendly. New Zealand play all their games in the Caribbean, with three out of four at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, where spin is expected to play a major role.
“Whoever we decide to play in these games will have to go out there and do their job, as you said, the conditions are quite spin-friendly. If I’m selected, I will go out there and be super-simple with the ball. The pitch sort of does the work for you. If you can be nice and simple, and use the pitch as much as you can, you will be in the game,” Bracewell said.
While Bracewell grew up batting higher up the order, the demands of a talented setup such as New Zealand’s presents a different challenge — nailing the role of a finisher. It is quite a complicated role, but the all-rounder views it as black and white.
“With the bat as well, I imagine that I will be coming in down the lower order to finish the innings. That role comes with a lot of variety. You can either put the icing on the cake or trying to mend the pieces back together. I really enjoy that variety and the role. Hopefully, it is more of that icing on the cake than the glue. It is part of the reason I love the role,” he touched upon his role in the current setup.
New Zealand’s only white-ball International Cricket Council (ICC) trophy remains the KnockOut Trophy, which they won in 2000 when Bracewell was nine years old. Since then, the Blackcaps have been one of the most consistent teams in ICC events but have often ended up exiting tournaments in the semi-final or finishing as runners-up.
“We have the focus of winning the World Cup and I think a lot of it is focusing solely on that, and don’t get too ahead of yourself, and not forgetting what is in front of you. We have spoken as a group, with the desire of wanting to win the World Cup,” the 33-year-old said.
The 2024 global event gives them an opportunity to end the white-ball trophy drought. But before they can get too ahead of themselves, they still have an uphill battle to fight. New Zealand have been drawn alongside the West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea in a group of death.
Surpassing the group stage might in itself be a big challenge and New Zealand already know it, having suffered a thumping 84-run loss against Afghanistan in their first game of the T20WC. The tournament is far from over for the Kiwis, but they know it’s going to be an uphill climb from here, considering that both Afghanistan and West Indies have two wins against their name.
“Our focus needs to shift quickly with the first game in front of us. If you don’t take care of the little things along the way, you get lost in trying to achieve the end goal. If we nail those small things, we will find ourselves in a position to win the World Cup,” Bracewell concluded.
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