"360-degree zone makes him a lot hard to bowl to" - Former NZ coach Glenn Pocknall on Michael Bracewell

Former New Zealand coach Glenn Pocknall has worked a lot with all-rounder Michael Bracewell during his time with the Wellington Firebirds and believes that the latter has the tools to become a success in Indian conditions in the IPL.

For any overseas batter to be a success in the IPL, playing well against spin is always an important factor. Although Bracewell has grown up playing in New Zealand where the ball doesn't turn a lot, Pocknall claimed that the all-rounder uses his reach to his advantage.

Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Glenn Pocknall explained the technical aspects of Michael Bracewell's game and said:

"He (Bracewell) has grown up playing on wickets in New Zealand that don’t turn much. But he has the ability to use his feet well against the spinners and that will be seen in the Indian conditions. In the last 12-18 months, a huge improvement has been on his game behind the wicket, the 360-degree zone, makes him a lot hard to bowl to. He is equally destructive off the back foot and can certainly hit the ball squarer of the wicket if conditions are conducive to that."

Not just with the bat, Pocknall believes Michael Bracewell can also have a huge impact with the ball in hand on Indian pitches. He added:

"He (Bracewell) has the ability to spin the ball hard. He has big hands and can wrap it around the ball and get a proper amount of purchase on the ball. It will bw crucial on the Indian wickets to not just get turn but also bounce because of the amount of revs he gets on the ball. So looking forward to seeing him trouble a lot of batters."

🔊 ANNOUNCEMENT 🔊

Michael Bracewell of New Zealand will replace Will Jacks for #IPL2023.

The 32-year-old all-rounder was the top wicket taker for Kiwis during the T20I series in India, and scored a fighting 140 in an ODI game. 🙌

#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB https://t.co/qO0fhP5LeY

Glenn Pocknall on his conversation with Michael Bracewell

New Zealand's Test series against Sri Lanka was still being played when Michael Bracewell was announced as a replacement for Will Jacks by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

However, after the end of the series, Glenn Pocknall had a chat with Bracewell about how he felt after being picked. He stated:

"I sent him (Bracewell) a message after it came out and he is pretty pumped up. His world has changed in the last 12-18 months in terms of the opportunities he has got, but he has earned them too with the toil in domestic cricket. The opportunities in international cricket and IPL have started to open well-deserved doors for him which is so pleasing to see."

With Wanindu Hasaranga and Josh Hazlewood unavailable for the first few games of IPL 2023, Michael Bracewell could well make his IPL debut against the Mumbai Indians on April 2.