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Full name Andrew John Bichel
Born August 27, 1970, Laidley, Queensland
Current age 37 years 334 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

Runs

Ave

100

Tests

355

16.90

552

64.31

ODIs

471

20.47

600

78.50

First-class

186

247

5860

148

26.51

List A

235

161

2491

100

20.58

Twenty20

364

58*

24.26

285

127.71

Bowling averages

Mat

Inns

Balls

Runs

Wkts

BBI

BBM

Ave

Econ

Tests

3336

1870

5/60

6/125

32.24

3.36

57.5

ODIs

3257

2463

7/20

31.57

4.53

41.7

First-class

186

37197

19986

769

9/93

25.98

3.22

48.3

List A

235

11433

8362

320

7/20

26.13

4.38

35.7

Twenty20

619

822

4/23

24.90

7.96

18.7

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

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