Birthday special: Michael Kasprowicz – The Australian speedster from their dominant era

Australia dominated world cricket for almost two decades. In those years, they produced enormously talented cricketers. However, with the competition being so stiff, many wonderful cricketers never received the opportunities they deserved. Michael Kasprowicz was one of the best fast-bowlers that Australia had produced. However, playing in the same era as Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie, robbed him of chances.

Career highlights

Born on February 10, 1972, Kasprowicz first made an impression when he played for the Australian U-19 team under the captaincy of Damien Martyn. It took some years to make his senior side debut and he had to work really hard. He was Queensland’s leading bowler during the early and mid-1990s. Strong domestic performances helped him get a call-up for the Australian ODI and Test squad.

Kasprowicz made his Test debut in November 1996 against West Indies. He had a tough start to his career as he went wicketless in his first two Tests. However, a month later, he bowled a superb spell which brought the attention of all the world. In the Ashes Test at the Oval in London in 1997, he took 7 for 36, which stayed his best figures in Tests.

In the famous Edgbaston Test of Ashes 2005, it was he and Lee, who almost stole a victory for Australia. With three runs required to win, Steve Harmison bowled a perfect bodyline bouncer to him, which he ducked. But the ball supposedly hit his gloves and was collected by wicketkeeper Geraint Jones. England won the match by two runs, but it was found only after the match, that Kasprowicz had indeed removed his hands off the handle before it touched the gloves making it not worthy of being given out.

Some beautiful in-swing for today’s #SaturdaySeed – Michael Kasprowicz knocking over the castle of Romesh Kaluwitharana! pic.twitter.com/DAWLNSrNtG

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) June 20, 2020

After that series, he didn’t get a contract extension from the Australia Cricket Board but he did make his comeback once again in 2005/06. However, his mediocre performances and age accounted for the selectors to let him go. He retired from all forms of cricket in 2008. He played 38 Tests, 43 ODIs and two T20Is for Australia and picked up 113, 67 and 5 wickets respectively. He could’ve been Australia’s leading pacer during his career but there were too many great pacers in the country at the time when he played.

Out of Australian jersey

He had a much more illustrious first-class career with Queensland. He also made a name for himself in English county cricket, by playing for Essex, Glamorgan and Leicestershire. Interestingly, he was one of the former international cricketers to have played in the rebel Indian Cricket League in 2007 and 2008. He played for Mumbai Champs, a team which was led by Brian Lara. Since his retirement, he has served as the director of Cricket Australia and the CEO of Queensland Cricket.