Michael Bracewell made headlines with his blazing fast knock against Ireland in a recent OneDay International for New Zealand. The left-handed batter remained unbeaten on 127* while smoking 7 massive sixes and 10 fours to guide his team to the victory single-handedly. However, the 31-year-old batter had struggled for over 10 years in the domestic cricketing circuit of New Zealand before he got his chance to represent the national team in international matches.
Michael Bracewell was born on 14th February 1991 in a family of cricketers. His uncles John and Brandon Bracewell had represented the New Zealand cricket team in international cricket. His father, Mark Bracewell, was a well-known name in first-class cricket in New Zealand. His cousin Doug Bracewell is also a Kiwi cricketer who was handed his blackcap in November 2011.
Also Read: All You Need to Know about Louise Buttler, the wife of Jos Buttler
Michael Bracewell started playing cricket when he was just 5 years old. His role model is Adam Gilchrist. He started in a similar fashion to which Gilchrist used to play. He became a left-handed destructive wicket-keeper batter. However, later in his career, he developed proficiency in right-arm off-break bowling.
He debuted for New Zealand in Tests in 2022 when Kane Williamson tested positive for Covid before the match against England. Before that, he had made his debut for New Zealand in ODIs against the Netherlands in 2022. Bracewell had to wait a long time before making his debut. He played the U-19 World Cup for New Zealand in 2010 alongside his cousin Doug. In 2020-21 he smashed four hundred in the domestic season and also became the top-scorer in T20 Super Smash in the following summer. This caught the eyes of Kiwi selectors, and he was called up for the ODIs against the Netherlands.
Till now, Michael Bracewell has played only 2 Tests and 4 ODIs for New Zealand, in which he has taken 10 wickets in total while scoring an unbeaten century. His prospect for the future looks bright if he continues to stay in the same touch.
Also Read: All You Need to Know about Renuka Singh, Premier Fast Bowler of Team India