He might be the most competent bowler in the Marsh Sheffield Shield simply on wickets taken, however Jackson Bird understands a various difficulty awaits him when he returns home to his native state.
Having represented Australia at the Under-19 World Cup in 2006 as he showed up through the NSW path system, the Northern Beaches item never ever pictured it would take up until he was 36 years of ages to pull on the Baggy Blue.
But that’s the circumstance dealing with the 9-Test paceman after an abundance of existing and future Australian quick bowlers in the NSW team throughout his early 20s required him look for opportunities interstate.
Unable to break onto a list including Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Trent Copeland and Doug Bollinger following a number of strong seasons for Premier Cricket club Manly Warringah, Bird used up a deal from Tasmania in 2011, going on to end up being the Tigers’ most effective top-notch bowler of perpetuity.
“It is a bit odd, however much better late than never ever I expect,” Bird says of the possibility of making his NSW launching next summertime.
“Growing up in NSW, playing club cricket, you constantly dream about betting NSW and I definitely did as a young cricketer.”
But getting that Baggy Blue cap is not the only carrot drawing him back.
Bird is figured out to increase his time on the field as he goes into the golden years of his profession, while the possibility of discovering the art of training from among the very best in the nation in Greg Shipperd is likewise attracting.
While the veteran right-armer likewise had an agreement deal on the table from the Tigers, it wasn’t as rewarding as the two-year deal from NSW that likewise consisted of opportunities following his playing profession.
Although dissatisfied not to be able to complete his profession in the Hobart where he has actually lived for more than a years, fulfilled his partner Scarlett and raised their 2 young boys, Max and George – with a 3rd kid en route in July – Bird says he leaves on friendly terms with “no tough sensations”.
“I’m undoubtedly pleased with my profession that I’ve had with Tasmania. First and primary, I’m pertaining to NSW as a gamer still eager to complete and add to winning video games of cricket,” Bird says.
“The longer that the settlements went on, the more I began believing that it was most likely not going to exercise how I was visualizing it.
“I speak with ‘Shippy’ (Greg Shipperd) a fair bit anyhow, despite whether he’s the coach of NSW, he’s an excellent man to talk cricket with.
“We discussed possibly turning up here and I expect on reflection, the instructions that I wished to choose the rest of my profession, which is increasing the quantity of time that I’m playing cricket, and the instructions that Cricket Tasmania wished to choose the list over the next number of years was most likely simply too far apart.
“And that’s reasonable enough, Cricket Tasmania are entitled to make those difficult choices on their list, and I’ve got no problems with it.
“I’m actually grateful to ‘Shippy’, Greg Mail and ‘Maxy’ (Michael) Klinger for getting this deal done, it’s an excellent chance for me.
“I’d like to enter training after I end up playing cricket, so I believe this provides me an excellent chance to deal with ‘Shippy’ and ideally help a few of the young people along the method also.
“He sees me coming in and playing that senior playing role and helping the young guys … over the last couple of years in Tassie I’ve played that leader role with the junior bowlers at the Tigers and I guess NSW are in a similar position.”
While he admits he’ll need to adapt his game from the seamer friendly conditions of Bellerive Oval to bowl on the generally flatter, more abrasive wickets at the SCG, as the Shield’s 10th highest wicket-taker of all-time, he’s generally had success wherever he goes.
Bird has also called the ground home for the seven seasons with the Sydney Sixers and his first-class record in NSW is better than what it is at Bellerive.
“There’s a false dawn in terms of the Bellerive wicket being an easy place to bowl fast with a new ball in your hand,” Shipperd says.
“An underestimated part of Jackson Bird’s excellence is that no matter where he goes or what conditions with a new ball in his hand, he’s a dangerous customer.
“He will open the door, I’m sure, to opposition middle orders throughout the coming seasons.
“I’ve coached him for a long time, more so in short-form cricket, and he provides another walking, talking coach around a net session and in a game.
“He’s very giving of his knowledge and he will be an excellent acquisition (for) our emerging young quicks, who were quite excited by it, over the next number of seasons.”
Bird says he’ll be leaning on some of his Sixers teammates to learn what to do differently in NSW conditions, where his record includes 13 wickets at 20.30 with a best of 4-41 in three first-class matches at the SCG.
“We played five away games a year when I was playing for Tassie … so it’s not something that I’m worried about,” he says.
“It’s going to be bowling with different fields, a different line than I’d probably would bowl at Bellerive Oval, so there’s going to be a few little things, but in saying that I definitely back my skill-set to be able to succeed on flat wickets like that.
“That’s probably my main motive in coming to NSW, I feel like it’s going to be a new challenge for me in terms of the conditions.
“Sydney is notoriously a flat wicket so it’s something that I’m going to have to adjust and learn and try and be better at, which is really exciting for me, that I can still improve parts of my video game. At my age, if I can keep doing that, then I’ll continue to take pleasure in playing.”
