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Full name Andrew John Bichel
Born August 27, 1970, Laidley, Queensland
Current age 37 years 264 days
Major teams Australia, Essex, Hampshire, Queensland, Worcestershire
Nickname Bic
Playing role Bowler
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium
Height 1.82 m
Education Laidley High
Relations Uncle - DA Bichel

Batting and fielding averages
	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct
Tests	19	22	1	355	71	16.90	552	64.31	0	1	51	2	16
ODIs	67	36	13	471	64	20.47	600	78.50	0	1	33	10	19
First-class	186	247	26	5860	148	26.51			9	23			91
List A	235	161	40	2491	100	20.58			1	5			73
Twenty20	29	22	7	364	58*	24.26	285	127.71	0	1	29	17	11

Bowling averages
	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	19	37	3336	1870	58	5/60	6/125	32.24	3.36	57.5	3	1	0
ODIs	67	66	3257	2463	78	7/20	7/20	31.57	4.53	41.7	1	2	0
First-class	186		37197	19986	769	9/93		25.98	3.22	48.3		36	7
List A	235		11433	8362	320	7/20	7/20	26.13	4.38	35.7	7	4	0
Twenty20	29	29	619	822	33	4/23	4/23	24.90	7.96	18.7	1	0	0

Career statistics
Test debut	Australia v West Indies at Adelaide, Jan 25-28, 1997 scorecard
Last Test	Australia v India at Adelaide, Dec 12-16, 2003 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut	Australia v West Indies at Brisbane, Jan 5, 1997 scorecard
Last ODI	Australia v India at Perth, Feb 1, 2004 scorecard
ODI statistics
First-class debut	1992/93
Last First-class	Queensland v Victoria at Brisbane, Nov 18-21, 2007 scorecard
List A debut	1992/93
Last List A	Essex v Gloucestershire at Chelmsford, Sep 3, 2007 scorecard
Twenty20 debut	Worcestershire v Gloucestershire at Worcester, Jul 2, 2004 scorecard
Last Twenty20	Middlesex v Essex at Lord's, Jul 6, 2007 scorecard

Profile

Anyone who thought Andy Bichel would disappear after his strange dumping from the national squad alongside Michael Bevan at the end of 2003-04 was wrong. Bichel was anything but quiet as he crashed through state batting orders and developed so much as a batsman that not even the most sceptical critic could knock back his membership as an allrounder. Bevan and Bichel, two heroes of the 2003 World Cup, did not have their contracts renewed three seasons ago so they decided to become born-again stars of the domestic scene. In 2005-06, at the age of 35, Bichel was named the Pura Cup Player of the Year for his double of 452 runs at 34.76 and 50 wickets at 26.69. The final act of his summer was to seal Queensland the trophy by taking the last wicket at the Gabba. In the past three campaigns he has captured 155 victims, including a haul of 45 in 2006-07 that was capped by a state-best 7 for 54.

Bichel was also a vibrant member of the state's drought-breaking Sheffield Shield win in 1994-95 and has led the attack with Michael Kasprowicz - the pair is jostling for the position as the state's highest wicket-taker - for more than a decade. His best season came in 2004-05, when he knocked off Craig McDermott's Queensland record, as he picked up 60 Pura Cup victims in a desperate push to win a spot on a second Ashes tour. Instead he performed for Hampshire that winter - he has also appeared for Worcestershire and Essex - and the promotion never came.

During his international career Bichel spent a lot of time coming in and going out of the squad but rarely stopped smiling. A prolific 12th man, he played 19 Tests for 58 wickets from his gutsy fast bowling and posted a half-century against West Indies, a team that he always seemed to lift for. His best figures of 5 for 60 came against them at Melbourne in 2000-01, he was involved in the crushing Frank Worrell Trophy-clinching win in the fourth Test of the teams' 1996-97 series, and dismissed Brian Lara seven times on the 2003 tour. While cementing a Test berth was out of reach, Bichel was a valued member of the one-day side from 2002 to 2004 and was almost unstoppable during the World Cup. In Australia's group match against England at Port Elizabeth he claimed 7 for 20 with a scintillating display of bowling before sharing a 73-run ninth-wicket partnership with Bevan to nurse Australia to an unlikely but hugely satisfying victory. "It was one of those perfect days," he said. Bichel also top scored for Australia with a vital half-century against New Zealand and finished the tournament with 16 wickets at 12.31 and 117 runs. Barely a year later he and Bevan were stripped of their green and gold status.
Cricinfo staff August 2007

Nov 3, 2007

Andy Bichel took the attack to the Sri Lankans
© Getty Images

Nov 2, 2007

Prasanna Jayawardene and Malinga Bandara share a joke with Andy Bichel
© Getty Images

Nov 2, 2007

Andy Bichel celebrates taking a catch off Ashley Noffke
© Getty Images

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