Nathan Bracken was an underrated hero for Australia in their ODI success in the 2000s. Although initially picked in Tests due to the team's long-standing wish of having a wily left-arm pacer, it was evident that he was more at home in the 50-over format. The ability to generate seam and swing movement, from his tall frame made him a real handful. Not to mention that deadly left-armer's angle across which made him a very successful bowler in white-ball cricket. Bracken made his international debut through ODIs in 2001 after a series of strong performances for New South Wales in the domestic circuit. Bracken immediately made a mark and was able to add another dimension to the Australian bowling attack that already had powerhouse performers in Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.

A last-minute injury to Jason Gillespie saw Bracken get a surprise World Cup berth for the 2003 edition although he never got a game. Over the next few years, he started getting more opportunities and eventually established himself as a core member of the bowling unit, sometimes even reducing the great McGrath to a first-change bowler. Bracken was a crafty operator who could adjust to the pitch really quickly and used his vast repertoire smartly. Apart from being able to seam and swing the brand new ball, he had a lot of variations with the older ball which made it tough for the batsmen. Bracken could hold his nerve under pressure and that was his hallmark as an ODI bowler. By the time he made his second World Cup appearance in 2007, he was already a gun bowler for the side and played all the matches as Australia completed a hat-trick of titles.

Bracken enjoyed performing on the biggest stages, as is evident from his numbers in the World Cup and Champions Trophy. 2006-08 phase was the peak period in Bracken's career as he established himself as one of the best ODI bowlers going around. He became the top ranked ODI bowler in 2008. His ability to adapt to conditions across the globe made him a terrific cricketer. During the 2008-09 season, a series of knee injuries had started to take its toll on him and eventually, he had to undergo surgery. During his period, a new crop of next gen pacers had arrived for Australia and that saw the left-arm pacer losing out on his central contract as well. Bracken continued to fight but as time went by, understood that his international career was all but done. The injuries had done too much damage and as a result, he announced his retirement in 2011.