11 facts about Michael Kasprowicz: The Subcontinent Specialist

Michael Kasprowicz was one of the top performing fast bowlers in Australian cricket in the 90’s. The start to his international career was patchy but his performances for domestic and county sides in England meant that he always stayed in the eyes of the national selectors. The tall fast bowler was known for his relentless and hard-working approach. On his day, he had the ability to generate prodigious movement off the track and make life difficult for batsmen. He started off as a tearaway and then evolved into a fine exponent of swing bowling. However, he had to face tough competition in a golden era of Australia cricket which had a handful highly talented fast bowlers.

1.Born on:

Michael Scott Kasprowicz was born on 10th February 1972 in South Brisbane, Queensland.

2. Early cricketing life:

At the age of 17, Michael Kasprowicz was suddenly brought into the limelight when he played for Queensland in the highly competitive Sheffield Shield against Western Australia at the Gabba.

3. Young talent:

Kasprowicz is the youngest cricketer to play for Western Australia since wicket keeper batsman Don Tallon who was a key member of the ‘Invincible’ Australian team under Sir Don Bradman.

4. Prestigious scholarship:

The fast bowler was an AIS Australian Cricket Academy scholarship holder in 1990-1991.

5. His most memorable year:

Kasprowicz returned in 2004 to hold down a regular spot ahead of Brett Lee. To highlight his return to the team, Kasprowicz enjoyed a successful 2004, capturing an impressive 47 Test wickets for the calendar year.

6. Test Debut:

Kasprowicz’s solid performances for Queensland earned him a Test debut against West Indies at his home Brisbane in November 1996 almost, year after making his ODI debut against the same opposition. However, it was not a very impressive for him as he went wicketless in the first two games.

7. Ashes moment:

In the 2005 Ashes, Kasprowicz almost pulled off a heroic escape for him in the second test at Edgbaston. On the final day England needed one last wicket to win the Test. Kasprowicz and Brett Lee were the last pair at the crease. The two batsmen batted sturdily and had taken Australia just two runs away from defeating England. However, unfortunately, Kasprowicz gloved Steve Harmison  to Geraint Jones and England won the match narrowly. Later, the TV replays showed the dismissal should not have been given as Kasprowicz took his lower hand off the bat before ball hit glove. This was his famous Ashes moment.

8. Recall after recall:

Kasprowicz has been in and out from the side regularly and found it tough to cement his place in the team in the presence of Brett Lee and McGrath. Injuries also flagged him down. But, the fast bowler proved his worth with his Sheffield performances and successful county stints with Essex which enabled him to make a comeback into the teams many times – 10 times to be precise.

9. Best bowling figures:

His best Test bowling figures of 7 for 36 came against England, The Oval, 1997 while his best ODI bowling figures of 5 for 45 came against Sri Lanka, Colombo, 2003–2004.

10. “Subcontinent Specialist”

He was also called the “Subcontinent Specialist”, for his unique ability to generate considerable amounts of pace from subdued tracks and reverse swinging the old ball. Kasprowicz played in all the Tests on the tours of Sri Lanka and India, which were won 3–0 and 2–1. He was a vital component in those wins. The victories were special for Australia as they had not won a Test series in India for 34 years until then, and their whitewash of Sri Lanka contrasted with their previous two tours there, which ended 1–0 and 0–1.

11. Overall figures:

Kasprowicz ended his Test career with 113 scalps in 38 Tests at an average of 32.88. He played 43 ODIs, took 67 wickets at a noteworthy average of 24.98.