Bird flying in Pigeon's image

Adam Gilchrist says he saw enough in Test paceman Jackson Bird’s return from injury last night to draw a comparison to Australia’s most successful fast bowler, Glenn McGrath.

Bird has been undergoing a prolonged rehabilitation program since being sent home from Australia’s Ashes campaign in England earlier this year having experienced back pain after bowling in the fourth Test at Chester-le-Street.

While initial fears of a repeat of stress fractures in his back were allayed, Bird had not appeared in any front-line form of the game until he turned out for the Melbourne Stars in Friday night’s opener of the 2013-14 KFC Big Bash League at the MCG.

The 27-year-old bowled a decisive spell, finishing with 4-31 from his four over stint and former Test captain Gilchrist, working as a Network Ten commentator during the BBL, was clearly impressed with what he saw.

"He bowled beautifully, albeit four overs," Gilchrist told ABC’s National Grandstand today.

"He really did get some great pace through, some beautiful areas and it wasn’t dissimilar to the old Glenn McGrath-type bowling.

"There was pace, bounce and he picked up four wickets so it was really promising for Australian cricket fans to know that he was back in the system."

While Bird’s primary focus is making it through the coming month’s BBL schedule, he has already turned half an eye to Australia’s imminent three-Test series and ensuing T20 internationals in South Africa from early February.

He said that while Friday night’s match against the Melbourne Renegades was his first appearance under the glare of national television coverage, he had been building up to that event for a couple of months through a number of grade cricket and BBL warm-up matches.

"After this week, I'm available for selection for all formats," Bird said

"Hopefully, if I can get through this Big Bash and stay fit, I can get a trip to South Africa.

"But in saying that, I have six or seven games for the Stars to think about and if I don't go to South Africa, I have four (Bupa Sheffield Shield) games for Tassie."

Aaron Finch, the Australian short-form opener and Melbourne Renegades captain, was also full of praise for Bird’s effort that was largely responsible for Finch’s team's 76-run loss.

"He's bowling very well, his consistency was fantastic," Finch said today.

"He hit the wicket hard, made it hard for us, so he made us hit good balls if we were going to score. That's what you want from your main fast bowler - to really lead the attack. He was brilliant."

Gilchrist said the return of Bird, who played the first of his three Test matches to date in Melbourne’s Boxing Day match last year, represented not only a positive sign for Australian cricket which has been plagued by injuries to a number of its young fast bowlers of late.

He said it also underscored the value of the Twenty20 format for bringing back players, especially pace bowlers, from rehabilitation knowing that short spells of up to four overs gave them a chance to test themselves flat out against quality opposition with minimal risk of re-injury.

"Guys like (James) Pattinson and (Mitchell) Starc and others will hopefully be able to ease back into it through the shortened form of Twenty20," Gilchrist said.

"For the naysayers of this version of the game out there, it may be there are some positives in it.

"Jackson Bird being able to come in knowing that it’s only a four-over stint, that he doesn’t need to overdo it in his return to cricket and for him to perform as well (as he did) means we will hopefully see these other guys integrated back into the system through this tournament.

"That's only going to help as the Australian team continues to improve.

"And if they keep improving at the rate they have over the past six months there is certainly exciting times ahead."