Jackson Bird

A fast bowler who moved from New South Wales to Tasmania in order to break in to first-class cricket, Jackson Bird quickly rewarded his new side with a fantastic debut season in 2011-12. He collected 53 Sheffield Shield wickets at an average of 16.00, topping the tournament tally, and he was a key factor in Tasmania reaching the final. Bird was also named the Sheffield Shield Player of the Year, making his decision to move south from the Manly-Warringah club in Sydney's grade competition to Tasmania appear a brilliant one. Bird does not bowl at express pace but he constantly attacks the stumps, and this accuracy combined with just enough swing and seam movement has made him a very dangerous proposition at Shield level.

Bird earned an Australia A call-up for the 2012 tour of England and won a promotion to the national squad for the Boxing Day Test against Sri Lanka later the same year after starting the 2012-13 Shield season in excellent form again. He was Man of the Match in his second Test against Sri Lanka in Sydney, but played only one Test on the 2013 Ashes tour before being dropped. However, a recall came for the 2016 Test tour of New Zealand, where the selectors believed his ability to move the ball would compensate for his lack of express pace. He struggled in the first Test in Wellington but in the second match in Christchurch he was pivotal in Australia's win, collecting five second-innings wickets and seven for the Test. He would play four more Tests over the next 18 months, but none in 2018. He dominated the 2018-19 Sheffield Shield season for Tasmania taking 50 wickets at 22.22, with two 10-wicket hauls, to keep himself in the frame.

Away from the game, Bird studied a Bachelor of Business, specialising in marketing. His father kept tabs on Bird's cricket career by watching live streaming of matches from Romania, where he worked as a grip in the film industry.
ESPNcricinfo staff