From pool to pitch! The Xavier Bartlett story - a swimmer-turned-pacer, Andy Bichel's student, and Virat Kohli's conqueror

Xavier Bartlett, a former champion swimmer, has made a remarkable transition to cricket, impressing in his fifth ODI by dismantling India's top order. Mentored by Andy Bichel, Bartlett's ability to swing the new ball consistently and his athletic prowess, honed in the pool, make him a bright prospect for Australian cricket across all formats.

Xavier Bartlett of Australia (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: When a 6-foot-2-inch tall, broad-shouldered, fire-breathing Xavier Bartlett grabbed the ball during the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval, most of the world still remembered him as a champion swimmer who had won numerous accolades. But destiny had other plans. Bartlett fell in love with cricket and traded the pool for the pitch, swapping water for willow. A talented backstroke specialist, he had once dominated state-level swimming competitions, collecting medals with ease. Just as he used to slice through the water, Bartlett tore through India’s batting lineup in only his fifth ODI appearance. He made the game his own, striking first by dismissing Virat Kohli for a duck — silencing the Adelaide Oval — before removing Shubman Gill for nine and adding a third scalp by getting Washington Sundar for 12.

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The lanky pacer, who grew up in Adelaide before moving to the Gold Coast, has been mentored by former Australian quick Andy Bichel. Under Bichel’s guidance, Bartlett mastered the art of fast bowling within the Australian setup and has quickly emerged as one of the country’s brightest prospects across all three formats. "Xavier has been my student for a long, long time now. I got him as a 15-year-old, and he’s worked his way through the ranks here at Queensland Cricket. He’s probably ready to bowl a lot of overs. He’s been bowling for Queensland, and now he’s bowling for Australia — which is pretty special. He swings the ball nicely and has always had that ability to take the ball away from the right-hand batter," Bichel told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview. "Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time at the IPL and got to know Virat Kohli. Xavier was able to straighten one back, take it down the line, and trap him LBW. Maybe Virat’s eyes are going towards the end of his career — maybe, maybe! But it’s Virat Kohli — an absolute legend of the game. The way he plays reminds me of Ricky Ponting — really aggressive, great to watch, and energetic in the field. Just like Ricky," he said. "He’s got those big shoulders from his swimming background, and that really helps him while bowling. He was at The Southport School (TSS) on the Gold Coast — a top GPS school — and he used to win awards for the school in swimming. Who knows, he could have gone to the Olympics! But his first love is cricket, and he’s very good at it. He’s still a great athlete — even during recovery sessions, he’s the best swimmer in the pool," Bichel said.

Andy Bichel and Xavier Bartlett (Photo credit: Special arrangements)

"He’s got a bit of ability with the bat as well — a bit like Andy Bichel, you might say (laughs)! I always loved my batting, and so does Xavier. Hopefully, we’ll see a bit more of his batting as he goes along in international cricket," he added. Just like any young budding cricketer, a 15-year-old Bartlett, accompanied by his father Kym Bartlett, went to meet Bichel and train under him. Bartlett’s father had always admired Bichel and wanted his son to learn the art of fast bowling from the Australian legend. "I asked him to bowl a few deliveries, and he was on the money straight away. I was at Queensland Cricket, working in the Pathways program, preparing for the U19 Championships in Hobart. He bowled beautiful outswing even as a teenager — and he still does. Always smiling, full of energy. My first impressions of him haven’t changed — he’s a leader, and everyone wants to be around him," Bichel recalled. "Xavier was selected from the Gold Coast — a talented youngster. Straight away, he came in and led the attack. Nathan McSweeney was captain, and the two built a great bond. Xavier had that presence — those big shoulders from his swimming background and that natural leadership quality," the former Australian pacer said.

Andy Bichel and Xavier Bartlett (Photo credit: Special arrangements)

So, what makes Bartlett so special? Bichel explains. "He swings the new ball up front — and that too, consistently. He’s lethal with the new ball and can lead a pace attack. That’s one of the great things about Xavier. He’s got a good bouncer when he needs to use it as well. Mixing really good outswing with the occasional short ball — that’s pretty special. He just needs to keep working on his consistency. He’s one of those blokes who can bowl up front with the new ball, during the power surge, and at the death — especially in limited-overs cricket," Bichel said. "He’s got really good skills in that department. He’s worked hard on his slower ball — the back-of-the-hand one, like Ian Harvey used to bowl in my time. Xavier’s really developed it recently. He’s got a few tricks up his sleeve, but ultimately, it’s his ability to swing the new ball consistently that causes trouble for batters," he said.

DIFFICULT TO GET INTO AUSTRALIAN SIDE

Australia have a history of sticking with their pace attack for years. They had Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, and Michael Kasprowicz, before Brett Lee joined the pack. Later came the era of Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle. Now, they have Mitchell Starc , Pat Cummins , and Josh Hazlewood leading the charge. So, how difficult is it for a fast bowler to break into the Australian side?

Andy Bichel and Xavier Bartlett (Photo credit: Special arrangements)

"It was a special era — with McGrath and Warne leading the way. No regrets. It was an honour to be part of that team," Bichel said. "Brett Lee was young and not around initially, so I got a few years with McGrath and Gillespie — we caused a bit of trouble! Then Brett came along and nudged me out — that’s okay, we all saw what he could do. It was frustrating at times; I might’ve missed out on a few more international games, but I still played around 100 matches for Australia," he recalled. "It’s a bit easier now than it used to be because of T20s and the amount of 50-over cricket being played overseas. The workloads of Starc, Cummins, and Hazlewood are high, so there are more opportunities for guys like Xavier to be in and around that group. You feel for someone like Scott Boland at times, but he’ll get his chance — and that could open up opportunities for Xavier in Tests too," the former pacer explained. "For Xavier, being around Pat Cummins, Hazlewood, and Starc is priceless. He’s learning from legends — how to go about it, manage five days of cricket, and handle himself on and off the field. It happened for me, it happened for Brett, and now it’s happening for Xavier. It’s great for the future of Australian cricket," Bichel said.

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