Bracey bidding to build on winter in England bubble
» GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S James Bracey has returned after a long winter with England and bubble life in Sri Lanka and India.
Being in the reserve squad, the Bristolian was still in and around all the current England team including Jos Buttler and Ben Foakes. He said “It was good, obviously you’re going to learn a lot from guys like that.
“It was good to have some good time away with them both last summer and this winter and that has definitely set me up well for coming back to the guys here and hopefully starting the season well.
“Obviously I was a bit sort of starstruck at first, but you know, working with guys like Joe Root and Ben Stokes as well and seeing how they go about their business is brilliant for my development and hopefully I’ll bring some of that knowledge back here and apply it to us.”
With Covid-19 protocols in place, Bracey was restricted to the team bubble whilst in both countries.
A lot of players across the globe have suffered with these environments and he said: “It was tough, I think I sort of got on pretty well with the large majority of it but there were times where it can hit you pretty hard, it’s obviously quite boring.
“I think life here has been pretty similar but you know, you get on with it and it allows you to focus on your game and get the most out of it.”
With Gareth Roderick now with Worcestershire, the duty falls to Bracey when it comes to who’s behind the stumps.
The 23-year-old is looking forward to the upcoming season: “We’ve obviously got a lot of cricket to play here.
“We’re all buzzing to play a full season of cricket and hopefully we can bag some silverware, put in some good performances and beat some of the top teams.
“It’s going to be great, I’m looking forward to that Somerset game where hopefully, if everything goes to plan, people can get back here and it’ll be nice to have our fans back with us.”