Jackson Bird rubbishes talk surrounding fatigue

Aussie fast bowler Jackson Bird dismissed the suggestions that their pace attack was tired and feeling the effects of back to back Test series. The additional of rookie Western Australian all-rounder Hilton Cartwright to the Australian squad for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan raised doubts about the team management’s take on the bowling reserves and also sparked rumours that the pace brigade was tired after Pakistan threatened to chase down a world record 490 in their 2nd essay in the opening Test at the Gabba.

Cartwright might well be drafted into the Playing XI straight away with Nic Maddinson struggling for form in his first two Tests. The addition of the newcomer might well be in pursuit of a balanced XI. Australia who didn’t have a particularly impressive couple of months in the longest format of the game can sill afford to lose their frontline pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood with the India tour just a month away. However, Bird conceded that there were no issues with the distribution of workload among the pace brigade.

“It probably would take a bit of the workload off us if we did have Hilton as a fifth bowling option, but I think us three quicks and Nathan Lyon have been doing a good job. We’ve won the last two Test matches and I’m not sure why they’d change that. But that’s completely up to the selectors,” Bird was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

When asked if the pace attack can bowl for long periods Bird said without a doubt they can. Mitchell Starc and Hazlewood has been doing this for a long time now and Bird has also performed quite consistently in the Shield games.

“Absolutely (we can). Mitch and Josh have been doing this for a while now and I’ve been bowling consistently in Shield cricket for a while. I think I’ve been averaging 45 overs a game or so in the last 12 months so it’s no real difference for me. Because I’m the third seamer, I probably don’t bowl as much as the other two do.

“I fully expect us all to get through if we have the same workload. It’s our job to bowl a lot of overs and do the hard work. It’s what we’re paid to do as professional cricketers and especially as fast bowlers.

“That’s part of the game as well, how well you can back up as a fast bowler. That’s why we do all the hard work with fitness and weights. I think things can sometimes get blown out of proportion a little bit. It’s part and parcel of being a fast bowler,” the fast bowler concluded.