Who is Michael Neser? Robbed in a car accident, catching the heaviest fish in Kenya, born in South Africa, and now playing for Australia against India in WTC

There is a video on the official Cricket Australia site from six years ago when Michael Neser knocked down the stumps of Tasmania opener Jake Hancock with an crazy in-bending inswinger, that started from the sixth stump line to take out the middle peg. The ball is gasp-worthy but Neser’s reaction is priceless. Even as he is running on from his follow-through, even before he has reached the striker’s stumps, he is busy showing his wr-snap to his team-mates: ‘look, look, this is how I did it’. In some videos, his release is reminiscent of that wonderful Aussie pacer Ryan Harris; not quite the insane wr-snap that Harris possessed but sort of.
There are other similarities too. Like Harris, Neser also made his Test debut at age of 31, and has played just two Tests thus far; one in December 21’ and then next December 22’. Back injuries had tailed him through his 20’s but his recent performances, including stint with Glamorgan in English county, pushed his case. The last few weeks the Australian newspapers and radio channels have been plugging for his case (‘He is always at ya!’ seems to be the familiar cry of description about him) and finally, an injury to Josh Hazlewood has got him in the squad for the World Test Championship final against India.
There is another video involving Cheteshwar Pujara that the Indian performance analyst must have shared within the team. The angle from behind the non-striker isn’t quite ideal, but the Neser over deserves the fire emoji on WhatsApp. The first two are in the outside-off corridor before the next one darts in to ping Pujara’s back thigh. An lbw appeal swirls in the air. Pujara adjusts opening up his stance for the next ball; a hurried late leave ensues and the ball rolls off the face of bat to the keeper. Pujara again adjusts his guard, another sharp nipbacker comes in and Pujara’s shape goes all wobbly as he tries to keep it out with an angled bat, and perhaps gets an inside edge to his pad. One more ball, left and Pujara walks away to short-leg region. The final nut though is the real cracker; Pujara almost doubles up as he wafts across the line but is pinned right in front of middle, and is out lbw. A pumped-up Neser roars in celebration. Could it be the sign of things to come at the WTC?
As an aside, the nip-backers seem to be back in fashion. England have picked Josh Tongue, presumably for Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne with his skill to seam the ball back in. Neser seems to have the ability to do more than just seam – he can swing it in as well. In his 20’s, he was obviously more pacy, and now at 33, he says he has settled into a ‘line-and-length’ bowler.
Michel Neser was born into a family of doctors in South Africa, and spent his first 10 years in Pretoria before his family relocated to Australia. His grandfather once treated the daughter of the South African president – “that’s our claim to fame,” he has said. His father is a spinal surgeon, mother a dent, and even his great grandfather was a doctor.
A file photo of Australia fast bowler Michael Neser. — Reuters
In a 10-year old Big Bash video, he talks about he is part of a “big fishing family and love surfing and fishing”. He talks about a trip as a nine-year old to Kenya, where the family ended up “catching a king fish” that would have been “a world record for the heaviest fish”. “We couldn’t record it as we were not part of the fishing association. It was very big, taller than me, then”. He also plays the musical instrument trombone, though it seems he was stuck with Trombone as he couldn’t get his first-choice drums.
In an interview with Roar.com.au, Neser is quoted as saying a traumatic accident was one of the reasons the family emigrated to Australia. “Once we were involved in a car accident. I think a drunk driver ran a red light and smashed into our car. We all stumbled out of the car in shock and tried to regather ourselves. Once we went back into the car to get our goods they were all gone. We’d actually been robbed … “I’ve always felt we were so fortunate we could emigrate to Australia and I’m so grateful that my parents made the move. It wouldn’t have been easy for them, and it was a big move to make, but they uprooted their life in South Africa and came to Australia practically for us kids. At first I actually thought I was going on a holiday. It wasn’t until a couple months later that it sunk in that I was actually in Australia for good.”

Things progressed, he started to play professional cricket for Queensland, and in 2013, a year after he had made his BBL debut, he got his chance to turn up for the IPL, for Kings XI Punjab.
Unfortunately, he ran into AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, and Virat Kohli in his first game. It was also his last game, as he leaked 62 runs, the highest for an IPL debutant.
“My first over, I thought I bowled quite well. Then I looked up at the scoreboard and saw it had gone for 15. It just got worse after that and every over went the journey. I know this sounds silly but I actually thought I didn’t bowl that bad. I’ve felt I’ve bowled worse and gone for a lot less,” he recalled to Roar.com.au. “I remember AB De Villiers reverse sweeping yorkers for four. Gayle hitting it miles. I didn’t get another game after that.”

He might not be young anymore but is probably getting the break at the right time now. If he does well against India, he can well find himself playing in the Ashes. He can test not just Pujara but also Virat Kohli too: a ‘line-and-length’ bowler with a cracking-good inswinger, who is ‘always at ya’.