3 reasons why Xavier Bartlett is the next big thing in Australian cricket
Australian fast bowler Xavier Bartlett has made the cricketing world sit back and take notice of his incredible skill and talent in what has been a dream week for the 25-year-old.
The recently concluded ODI series between Australia and the West Indies could well have marked the start of a great international career for a truly talented fast bowler. Bartlett has been getting all the accolades from cricket pundits and rightly so, given the impact he has had. He showed no signs of nerves on debut and Australia could have a star on their hands.
On that note, let's take a look at the three reasons why Xavier Bartlett is a diamond that Australia need to polish:
#3 Breakout BBL season
The Big Bash League (BBL) 2023/24 was all about Xavier Bartlett coming of age and taking his team Brisbane Heat to the title. The Heat had narrowly missed out on winning the final in 2022/23, but the young pacer had an inspirational season and ensured that his team went a step further this time.
In 11 matches, Bartlett picked up 20 wickets at an average of 14.70 with an economy rate of just 7.63. He made the new ball talk and also returned with fine figures of 2/12 in the final to trump the Sydney Sixers.
#2 Dream Australia debut
Xavier Bartlett was among many who got a chance as Australia named a second-string bowling attack for the ODI series against West Indies. The youngster pounced on the opportunity and picked up four-wicket hauls in both the games that he played.
His seam position and the swing that Bartlett generated were so good that skipper Steve Smith was impressed and claimed that Australia had a great prospect on their hands. Bartlett's figures of 4/17 in Melbourne followed by 4/21 in Canberra ensured that the Aussies blew away the visitors 3-0.
#1 Quality back-up to first-choice pace options
Mitchell Starc (34), Josh Hazlewood (33), and Pat Cummins (30) are gradually becoming an aging pace trio for Australia, and in some time, they will need to think about a transition. The way Xavier Bartlett swung the ball and the purchase that he was able to extract make him a great red-ball prospect too.
The youngster can be groomed by being kept in the Australian setup and can rub shoulders with the aforementioned veteran pacers. Bartlett has 62 wickets in just 18 first-class games, enough to suggest that there's potential in the longest format as well.