Bird's major target a potential swansong

Having had a taste of Ashes cricket in England and with a realistic outlook on his playing future, seam bowler Jackson Bird has set his sights on the 2019 Ashes in what could be his international swansong.

Bird played one Test on the 2013 Ashes tour, at Durham’s Chester-le-Street, but having featured in just six Tests since and with the ‘Big Three’ fast bowlers of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins occupying permanent residency in the Test XI when fit, the 31-year-old admits next year’s Ashes might be his last shot at another Test cap.

"That is an aim for me, to be on that (Ashes) tour," Bird told cricket.com.au.

"But there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge before that series is selected.

"Being part of an Ashes series in England has probably been the highlight of my career so far.

"I was a bit younger when I went over there so I didn’t quite understand how big it actually was until I got home.

"Then I missed out on selection for the next Ashes over there (in 2015) and looking from the outside you actually realise how big the series is.

"When you’re part of a squad on tour you’re part of a bubble and don’t really see what’s going on around, like the hype and the build-up.

"That 2019 series is hopefully something I’m going to be a part of, but I’ve got 10 (JLT Sheffield Shield) games for Tasmania this year to do as well as I can and the rest will take care of itself.

"The age that I’m at now, I’ll be 32 by that series next year, that could be the last time I play for Australia, so that’s something I’m really looking to be a part of.

"Hopefully I do well for Tassie this year and I get on that plane for England."

Bird has been on the fringes of Test selection, often called up when one of Starc, Hazlewood or Cummins is injured, as was the case last summer when he replaced the left-armer in the Boxing Day Test.

While extreme pace is becoming a prerequisite in Australian conditions, Bird’s probing accuracy and ability to move the ball either way off the seam at a decent clip is a threatening prospect in English conditions.

It’s why Bird, the lanky seamer who has enjoyed County Championship stints at Hampshire and Nottinghamshire, points to a bowler like England veteran James Anderson as an example of how skills conquer speed in the UK.

Anderson has taken 553 wickets in 140 Test matches – including 357 wickets on home soil – by using guile and swing at pace closer to medium-fast than fast-medium in the latter stages of his career.

The dip in pace has not curbed his effectiveness – only yesterday, the 36-year-old took nine wickets in England’s thumping of India at Lord’s to move just 10 wickets shy of becoming Test cricket’s most prolific fast bowler.

While Bird’s game is tailor-made to English conditions, the Tasmanian quick says Australia’s frontline quicks, who dominated England’s batsmen at home in last summer’s Ashes, can adapt and succeed anywhere in the world.

"In England you have to bowl a little bit differently than how you do in Australia," he said.

"The wickets are slower, so sometimes guys that bowl high 140s come on to the bat a bit better for the batters, and Jimmy (Anderson) has shown he bowls in the 130s and has taken a lot of wickets over there.

"Your control and what you do in the air is a lot more important than out-and-out pace, which is what you need in Australia to a certain extent on our flatter wickets.

"Jimmy’s taken 500-odd Test wickets and the skills that he’s got, not just with the Dukes ball but any ball, are world class.

"He’s definitely someone our bowlers should look to emulate, because his success in England has been fantastic for his whole career.

"It will be interesting to see how we go about it, but we’ve got a world-class attack with our ‘Big Three’.

"I’m sure they’ll be able to adjust to the conditions."