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State Captain
Don't take Twenty20 to heart: Bracken
Friday July 13, 11:47 AM
AAP
Regularly ridiculed by purists as hit and giggle affairs, Nathan Bracken has warned his Australian teammates not to take matches at September's inaugural Twenty20 World Cup "too seriously".
The left-arm seamer felt it was essential that players, especially bowlers, kept their perspective during the helter-skelter of the 20-over-a-side game.
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"If you take it too seriously it will just do your head in," Bracken said.
"Having watched games and played in games you can definitely see how if you start to worry where every ball goes and you get stressed about being hit for four or for six, you can do your head in."
Australia's opening match at the first Twenty20 World Cup is against Zimbabwe on September 12 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Bracken, the world's No.2 rated one-day bowler behind Shaun Pollock, will play a crucial role in Australia's plans to add the Twenty20 Cup to their already bulging trophy cabinet.
The New South Welshman was outstanding at this year's World Cup in the West Indies, collecting 16 wickets at 16.12 at a stingy economy rate of 3.60 as Australia collected a third straight title.
Bracken felt bowlers must keep their heads in the ultra-abbreviated form of the game where batsmen are encouraged to throw their bat from the opening ball.
"Batters are going to take you on and it does not matter who you are and how you are bowling, they are going to hit good balls for four," he said.
"It comes down to being adaptable as quickly as you can and settling down into a situation and trying to get as many dot balls as you can or maybe just as fewer balls going to the boundary or over it as you can.
"In South Africa the grounds are quite small so the pressure will be on there as well."
Bracken is intrigued to discover just how much support there is for Twenty20 cricket - the game's latest form enjoying stunning success during its short history.
There is a school of thought that if Twenty20 kicks on that it might eventually squeeze out the 50 over a side game.
"It will be interesting to see what people think of it and how it comes across," Bracken said.
"It has not been put on a whole world scale, we have seen the impact it has had in different countries here and there but now we get to see the whole impact for everybody and especially coming off the back of a World Cup in the one-day format (earlier this year).
"It might be a good way to find out where it stands and how people view it."
Friday July 13, 11:47 AM
AAP
Regularly ridiculed by purists as hit and giggle affairs, Nathan Bracken has warned his Australian teammates not to take matches at September's inaugural Twenty20 World Cup "too seriously".
The left-arm seamer felt it was essential that players, especially bowlers, kept their perspective during the helter-skelter of the 20-over-a-side game.
ADVERTISEMENT
"If you take it too seriously it will just do your head in," Bracken said.
"Having watched games and played in games you can definitely see how if you start to worry where every ball goes and you get stressed about being hit for four or for six, you can do your head in."
Australia's opening match at the first Twenty20 World Cup is against Zimbabwe on September 12 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Bracken, the world's No.2 rated one-day bowler behind Shaun Pollock, will play a crucial role in Australia's plans to add the Twenty20 Cup to their already bulging trophy cabinet.
The New South Welshman was outstanding at this year's World Cup in the West Indies, collecting 16 wickets at 16.12 at a stingy economy rate of 3.60 as Australia collected a third straight title.
Bracken felt bowlers must keep their heads in the ultra-abbreviated form of the game where batsmen are encouraged to throw their bat from the opening ball.
"Batters are going to take you on and it does not matter who you are and how you are bowling, they are going to hit good balls for four," he said.
"It comes down to being adaptable as quickly as you can and settling down into a situation and trying to get as many dot balls as you can or maybe just as fewer balls going to the boundary or over it as you can.
"In South Africa the grounds are quite small so the pressure will be on there as well."
Bracken is intrigued to discover just how much support there is for Twenty20 cricket - the game's latest form enjoying stunning success during its short history.
There is a school of thought that if Twenty20 kicks on that it might eventually squeeze out the 50 over a side game.
"It will be interesting to see what people think of it and how it comes across," Bracken said.
"It has not been put on a whole world scale, we have seen the impact it has had in different countries here and there but now we get to see the whole impact for everybody and especially coming off the back of a World Cup in the one-day format (earlier this year).
"It might be a good way to find out where it stands and how people view it."
