What’s the story?
New Zealand fast bowling all-rounder, Doug Bracewell was sentenced to 100 hours of community service on Thursday in Wellington for drunk driving. He earlier plead guilty for the same last month.
"This was no-one's fault but my own... I'm deeply embarrassed to have let down so many people - be they family, friends, or cricket-lovers," Bracewell said post the sentence.
In case you didn’t know...
The pacer was instrumental in New Zealand’s first Test win in Australia in 26 years, taking 9 for 60 in Hobart. He has picked up 72 Test wickets so far.
The heart of the matter
The court was told that Bracewell decided to head home from a function after a distress call from his partner. He was informed that his pet cockatoo has been killed by dogs,
The cricketer’s attorney, Ron Mansfield said that the felony was not about a ignoring the road rules but came from what was a genuine concern for his partner as the cockatoo was of great significance to his partner.
Bracewell issued the statement quoted above in which he accepts to have made a massive mistake by driving himself home. Also, during the sentencing, Judge Bridget Mackintosh noted the previous two convictions and said the cricketer’s alcohol reading was relatively high, thus the community work was pertinent.
Parallels from the past
Bracewell has a history of alcohol-fuelled incidents and was suspended for a Test match in 2014 after going on a drinking extravaganza with fellow batsman Jesse Ryder, during which he happened to break a bone in his foot.
He was over thrice the legal limit of New Zealand when he was pulled over by the police last month and this particular episode was the 26-year-old’s third drink-driving offence in the past decade.
The fast bowler was also not included in New Zealand’s Champions Trophy squad.
Also Read: Doug Bracewell wants to be known as a batting all-rounder
Author’s take
Bracewell is a promising fast-bowling all-rounder, there is no doubt. However, he still hasn’t cemented his spot in the Blackcap squad and will want to bounce back and make a conscious effort to not repeat such incidents.
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