The proven fact that he made his debut in an ODI, having not performed a 50-over List A sport for Queensland since September 2022, makes it much more outstanding. Before the BBL, the place he dominated the event taking 20 wickets in Brisbane Heat’s title win, Bartlett did not play a single sport for Queensland in any format as he was coming off a again harm.
But, on the MCG on Friday, he seemed like he had been taking part in worldwide cricket for years as he scythed via West Indies’ prime order to say Four for 17, the second-best figures by an Australian man on ODI debut.
“It almost feels like it’s not real,” Bartlett stated after the match.
He admitted he had no thought at first of the summer season, and even through the early a part of the BBL, that he was even near Australia choice.
“Oh, definitely not,” Bartlett stated. “We’ve got so many great fast bowlers at the moment. Obviously, [Mitchell] Starc, [Josh] Hazlewood and [Pat] Cummins are probably the top three to ever do it for Australia or in that conversation. And then I only really got my chance through Jhye Richardson’s injury and Nathan Ellis was injured as well.
“There’s undoubtedly a lengthy listing of individuals in entrance of me. But I’ve simply received to maintain making an attempt to do my greatest for Queensland, and if I get a chance on the larger stage, simply try to take it and simply form of virtually be taught as a lot as I can as nicely alongside the best way.”
“Not the quickest, however as we see you do not want tempo to be disruptive. He was very, very constant”
Shai Hope on Xavier Bartlett
Despite his BBL success, the thought had dawned on him that he had not played any 50-over cricket since September 2022, which added to his pre-game nerves.
“Yeah it did,” Bartlett said. “I spoke to somebody on the cellphone and I used to be like ‘I have never performed a 50-over sport in like 15 or 16 months’. Yeah, I imply … I do not know. It simply form of occurred so quick.
“I was injured at the start of this year and didn’t have a chance to play any domestic cricket, which was a frustrating time. But you can kind of see the light at the end of the tunnel and you’ve just got to keep trying to work hard because these days don’t happen very often in the game of cricket.”
“We were sitting in there watching the boys bat and it floated up on the screen,” Bartlett stated. “Some of those names, to just be alongside them, it’s pretty cool. [Dodemaide] didn’t say anything. I just had a little picture with him just then.”
“He’s shown that he’s got the ability to perform at this level,” Hope stated after the match. “Not the quickest, but as we see you don’t need pace to be disruptive. He was very, very consistent. He bowled really well, especially for his first game. He looked like he belonged. We know as a West Indies group we have to find a way to not allow him to settle for the next game.”
Alex Malcolm is an affiliate editor at ESPNcricinfo