Nonetheless, it was enough to keep him on the selectors’ radar, and with nine players missing from the Pakistan tour due to the IPL and Will Young (county) and Tim Latham (father and son) not being considered, Robinson was one of them. To make a profit. But the call from selector Sam Wells was still a lot to take in.
“I was actually stuttering trying to have a conversation, and I was having a bit of a hard time,” he told reporters. “It was unbelievable and honestly it hasn’t fully sunk in yet. It’s hard to put those things into words. It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was little, to hit a hundred and six. It’s been a while, but to have it all come to fruition is pretty amazing and I’m really excited.
“I love hitting sixes and trying to please people. To be honest, it’s addictive to get a six out of the way and run a mile. I lost a lot of confidence during that (century), but this is a completely different challenge. I I’m excited to go there and have a real crack at it.”
“He was a fantastic role model for me,” he said. “We help each other and see who can hit the ball the furthest. He’s a fantastic guy and I feel comfortable going with him.”
“I’ve spent many days here in the Basin working hard on all the little things,” he said. “For people who haven’t been through that journey, it probably feels fast, but for me it’s been a bit of a slow journey.
“It’s another great honor to be selected first again and to be selected as captain. I had three golden days – eight in the Basin, the next day I hit a hole-in-one and the third time Steady called me about the captaincy. I will never forget these three days.
“When you take a moment on the sideline to reflect and build that hunger, it makes it a little sweeter to come back.”
The five-match series in Pakistan will be instrumental in cementing a handful of uncertain places in New Zealand’s T20 World Cup squad and Bracewell, who offers medium power with the bat and offspin, will be a strong contender. Don’t look too far ahead.
“There will certainly be exciting things happening over the rest of the year,” he said. “The immediate challenge is to adapt it to the circumstances in Pakistan.” “That’s what we’re going to focus on. Obviously you have an idea of where you want to be, but the only way to get where you want to go is to focus on what’s in front of you.”
