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Gloucestershire wicketkeeper-batsman James Bracey has said that he is a tad nervous ahead of his likely Test debut at Lord’s against New Zealand. However, he asserted that nerves tend to help him thrive under pressure.
The 24-year-old Bracey looks all set to make his Test debut as a gloveman when England take on the Kiwis in the first Test, starting June 2. The unlikely opportunity has come James Bracey’s way after England's regular keeper Ben Foakes suffered a freak hamstring injury while playing for Surrey a few days ago.
In an interview with Sky Sports, James Bracey said that he is both nervous and excited. He said in this regard:
“As you would expect, two days left for a possible debut, nerves have started kicking up a bit. But I have been helped by the fact that I have been in and around the setup for the last year or so. It certainly makes things a lot easier. Not coming in and meeting loads of people you have been watching on telly for a while and get to know the coaches. All that stuff sort of fell into place, which was nice from the prospect of the cricket side of things.”
The young player added that having a few nerves is not bad at all. James Bracey elaborated:
“Always get a few nerves, everyone does. It is natural. I think I have learnt to channel that in a better way in the last couple of years or so and use that as a bit of a positive. I feel that when I am a bit nervous, and there’s a little bit more riding on things, I tend to come good and thrive under that sort of pressure.”
Excited for Test debut but gutted for Ben Foakes: James Bracey
James Bracey said that while he is happy for the opportunity to represent his team in Test cricket, he is gutted for Ben Foakes. The latter was ruled out of the first Test against New Zealand after slipping in his socks and tearing his left hamstring following a game for Surrey against Middlesex a few days back. He said in this regard:
"I'm really excited but gutted for Ben. I had a lot of times this winter, tried to calculate how I was getting in the team and how I was going to get that opportunity. A lot of the time, it happens when you don't expect it, and hopefully that time is now. I've benefitted from Ben having a freak accident, and it's an opportunity for me to not only show what I can do with the gloves but (with) the bat (as well)."
Having played 45 First-Class matches, James Bracey has scored 2575 runs at an average of 36.78, doing so with six hundreds and 12 fifties.
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