I’ll be very surprised if picked for Ashes: Jackson Bird

Australia fast bowler Jackson Bird isn't pinning hopes of an international comeback anytime soon and he would be surprised if picked for the England tour.

Australia fast bowler Jackson Bird isn’t pinning hopes of an international comeback anytime soon and he would be surprised if picked for the England tour post ICC World Cup for the Ashes series. (ALSO READ: Bancroft hits century on first-class return)

Bird’s last Test was also during an Ashes series, Melbourne Test of 2007. Since making his debut in 2012, the Tasmanian has only played nine Tests despite him being hyped as the next Glenn McGrath when he started his international career.

On Saturday, Bird picked up a four-wicket haul for Tasmania against South Australia while bowling with the Duke ball. He returned figures of 4/53 giving the Australian selectors a gentle reminder of his abilities.

“I’ll be very surprised if I go on that [Ashes] tour. But you never know. I just feel the way the selections have gone in the last sort of 12 months, they’ve probably gone in another direction, which is fair enough. The guys (who have been picked ahead of him) have performed really well in Shield cricket in the last couple of years,” Bird was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

Bird falling off the radar has as much to do with his modest performances in nine Tests (34 wickets at 30.64) as with the competition he had to face in early part of his career and then with the emergence of a new crop of fast bowlers.

“I suppose, I haven’t played as much of Test cricket as I would have liked. But, it’s pretty hard when you’ve got the kind of guys ahead of you that I have when I’ve been part of the squad. Guys like Josh Hazlewood, Mitch Starc, Pat Cummins, Mitch Johnson, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle. It’s hard to get in front of those guys so. There are worse positions to be in though I suppose,” he said.

The current Australian Test captain Tim Paine was behind the stumps during Bird’s impressive spell. Will that help his chances of making a return?

“I suppose it’s always good to have him (Paine) in the team, when you do play well. At least he’s there first-hand to see it but we haven’t really spoken about that sort of stuff. I’m just enjoying my time with Tassie at the moment. I’ve got a bit of a different mind-set now. I’m not really worried about that sort of stuff,” he said.