# Michael Kasprowicz
**Michael Kasprowicz** (Michael Scott Kasprowicz, born 1972 in South Brisbane, Queensland) is a former Australian fast bowler who played 38 Tests between 1996 and 2005, took 113 Test wickets at an average of 32.88, and finished as Queensland's leading first-class wicket-taker before moving into cricket administration and business.[1](https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/2/2242/2242.html) • [2](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-02-07/kaspa-calls-it-a-day/1035708)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1972, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia[1](https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/2/2242/2242.html) |
| Test career | 38 Tests, 113 wickets at 32.88; debut against the West Indies at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, 22 November 1996[2](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-02-07/kaspa-calls-it-a-day/1035708) • [3](https://www.cricketweb.net/statsspider/player/938381.php) |
| Queensland record | Debut in the 1989/1990 season; retired as the Bulls' leading wicket-taker with 505 wickets at 24.43[2](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-02-07/kaspa-calls-it-a-day/1035708) • [4](https://www.cricket.com.au/news/3277813/queensland-legend-takes-over-as-ceo) |
| Retirement | Announced February 2008, aged 35, after an injury-affected final period[2](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-02-07/kaspa-calls-it-a-day/1035708) |
| Defining moment | Last man out at Edgbaston in the 2005 Ashes second Test, Australia two runs short of victory[5](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2005/aug/08/ashes2005.ashes) |
| Post-cricket career | MBA graduate; founder of Venture India; Cricket Australia director from 2011; Queensland Cricket interim CEO in 2016[4](https://www.cricket.com.au/news/3277813/queensland-legend-takes-over-as-ceo) |
## Playing career
Kasprowicz made his debut for [Queensland](https://www.edgepedia.org/queensland) in the 1989/1990 season and was selected for Queensland in year 12 at school, sharing a change room with role models including [Allan Border](https://www.edgepedia.org/allan-border) and Craig McDermott.[2](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-02-07/kaspa-calls-it-a-day/1035708) • [6](https://statehighconnect.com.au/ocd.aspx?menuItem=Michael+Kasprowicz&scrollpagename=pg_81) His Test debut came against the [West Indies](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-indies) at the Brisbane Cricket Ground in November 1996, shortly after his 24th birthday.[3](https://www.cricketweb.net/statsspider/player/938381.php) • [7](https://www.sen.com.au/news/2024/10/13/former-aussie-quick-reflects-on-the-highs-and-lows-of-historic-ashes-moments)
Across a career of almost two decades he was, in the assessment of Cricbuzz's profile, often the filler man in a strong Australian pace attack, though he had bright spells of his own; in domestic cricket he was a giant, finishing with 501 wickets by Cricbuzz's count and 505 at 24.43 by Queensland Cricket's, the leading wicket-taker in his state's history.[8](https://www.cricbuzz.com/profiles/141/) • [4](https://www.cricket.com.au/news/3277813/queensland-legend-takes-over-as-ceo) He represented Queensland for 19 years.[9](https://www.bullsmasters.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/bulls_masters_annual_report_2020_final_v2.pdf) In English first-class cricket he won the Cricket Society Wetherall Award for the leading all-rounder in 2003.[1](https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/2/2242/2242.html)
## Edgbaston 2005
The second Test of the 2005 Ashes series at Edgbaston produced the moment Kasprowicz is most remembered for. [Glenn McGrath](https://www.edgepedia.org/glenn-mcgrath) trod on a cricket ball during the warm-up just over an hour before play began and injured his ankle, and Kasprowicz replaced him.[10](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2005/aug/05/ashes2005.ashes5) England scored 407 in the first innings and eventually set Australia 282 to win. On the final morning Australia, nine wickets down, closed to within three runs of victory when [Steve Harmison](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-harmison) produced a bouncer to the last man. Kasprowicz flinched and gloved the ball down the leg side, where wicketkeeper [Geraint Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/geraint-jones) took the catch, and umpire Billy Bowden gave him out; England won by two runs, the closest margin in England-Australia Test history according to Wisden's account.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2005/aug/08/ashes2005.ashes) • [11](https://www.bloomsbury.com/media/mbnpxzz2/we8.pdf)
Television replays showed that Kasprowicz's left hand was off the bat handle at the moment of impact, so that technically he was not out; Wisden concluded as much after repeated viewings, and the Guardian argued in a follow-up piece that he should have been given not out.[11](https://www.bloomsbury.com/media/mbnpxzz2/we8.pdf) • [12](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2005/aug/14/ashes2005.ashes4) Kasprowicz said at the time that he would never forget the dismissal.[13](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2005-08-08/the-ball-kasper-will-never-forget/2075978) He had earlier taken 3 for 80 in England's first innings of that match.[14](https://www.cricketweb.net/england-scrape-home-in-thriller/)
## Retirement
Kasprowicz announced his retirement from first-class cricket in February 2008, aged 35, with his final home appearance at the Gabba against [Western Australia](https://www.edgepedia.org/western-australia). He said injuries had made the previous 18 months to two years difficult, and that he wanted to devote time to his family; he noted that more than half his life had been spent playing professional cricket.[2](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-02-07/kaspa-calls-it-a-day/1035708) After his international retirement he had also been involved with the rebel [Indian Cricket League](https://www.edgepedia.org/indian-cricket-league), which later became defunct, appearing for teams including the Mumbai Champs.[8](https://www.cricbuzz.com/profiles/141/) • [15](https://www.cricbuzz.com/profiles/141/m-kasprowicz)
## Administration and business
After retiring, Kasprowicz completed an MBA, saying he believed there were strong links between business and sport.[6](https://statehighconnect.com.au/ocd.aspx?menuItem=Michael+Kasprowicz&scrollpagename=pg_81) He founded and became managing director of the trade and business consultancy Venture India, served on the board of the Australia India Council and the Bulls Masters, and was a former president of the Australian Cricketers' Association.[4](https://www.cricket.com.au/news/3277813/queensland-legend-takes-over-as-ceo)
In May 2016, aged 44, he was appointed interim chief executive officer of Queensland Cricket, filling the vacancy left by Geoff Cockerill's resignation, and stepped down from the [Cricket Australia](https://www.edgepedia.org/cricket-australia) board, on which he had served since 2011, to take the role.[4](https://www.cricket.com.au/news/3277813/queensland-legend-takes-over-as-ceo) He had resigned from the Cricket Australia board in July 2019 after eight years as a director, according to Cricket Australia's 2019-20 annual report.[16](https://read.e-brochures.com.au/cricketaustralia/annual-report-2019-2020/pdf.pdf) He has remained active in past-player programs, joining the Australian Cricketers' Association Masters tour to Darwin in June 2022.[17](https://cms.auscricket.com.au/documents/AUSC1074-Annual-Report-2021-22_FA-WEB.pdf?v=1690435660)
## References
1. [Michael Kasprowicz player page, CricketArchive](https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/2/2242/2242.html)
2. [Kaspa calls it a day, ABC News, 7 February 2008](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-02-07/kaspa-calls-it-a-day/1035708)
3. [Michael Kasprowicz stats, Cricket Web](https://www.cricketweb.net/statsspider/player/938381.php)
4. [Queensland legend takes over as CEO, cricket.com.au, 18 May 2016](https://www.cricket.com.au/news/3277813/queensland-legend-takes-over-as-ceo)
5. [Jones gloves vital catch as England steals a nail-biter, The Guardian, 8 August 2005](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2005/aug/08/ashes2005.ashes)
6. [Michael Kasprowicz, State High Foundation Online Community](https://statehighconnect.com.au/ocd.aspx?menuItem=Michael+Kasprowicz&scrollpagename=pg_81)
7. [Former Aussie quick reflects on the highs and lows of historic Ashes moments, SEN, 13 October 2024](https://www.sen.com.au/news/2024/10/13/former-aussie-quick-reflects-on-the-highs-and-lows-of-historic-ashes-moments)
8. [Michael Kasprowicz profile, Cricbuzz](https://www.cricbuzz.com/profiles/141/)
9. [Bulls Masters Annual Report 2020](https://www.bullsmasters.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/bulls_masters_annual_report_2020_final_v2.pdf)
10. ['We can still win' says Kasprowicz despite a painful first day, The Guardian, 5 August 2005](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2005/aug/05/ashes2005.ashes5)
11. [Edgbaston's Ashes cracker, Wisden 2006 (From the Archive)](https://www.bloomsbury.com/media/mbnpxzz2/we8.pdf)
12. [A pity Kasper wasn't given not out, The Guardian, 14 August 2005](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2005/aug/14/ashes2005.ashes4)
13. [The ball Kasper will never forget, ABC News, 8 August 2005](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2005-08-08/the-ball-kasper-will-never-forget/2075978)
14. [England scrape home in thriller, Cricket Web, 2005](https://www.cricketweb.net/england-scrape-home-in-thriller/)
15. [Michael Kasprowicz profile (career timeline), Cricbuzz](https://www.cricbuzz.com/profiles/141/m-kasprowicz)
16. [Cricket Australia Annual Report 2019-20](https://read.e-brochures.com.au/cricketaustralia/annual-report-2019-2020/pdf.pdf)
17. [Cricket Australia Annual Report 2021-22, Past Player Program](https://cms.auscricket.com.au/documents/AUSC1074-Annual-Report-2021-22_FA-WEB.pdf?v=1690435660)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Cricket › Cricket people and teams › People › Men's international cricketers › Australian men's cricketers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license