John Garry Bracewell is a former New Zealand cricketer who was most recently the coach of the Irish national team. He played 41 Test matches between 1980 and 1990, as well as 53 One Day Internationals. He was the second New Zealand cricketer to score 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in Test cricket. He was the coach of the New Zealand cricket team between September 2003 and November 2008. Bracewell comes from a strong cricketing heritage. His brother Brendon played Test cricket, while his brothers Douglas and Mark played at first-class level. He was educated at Tauranga Boys' College and was in the 1st XI from 1973 to 1976. John Bracewell is the uncle of test representatives Doug Bracewell and Michael Bracewell.

The former gravedigger considered himself s student of life and a great observer of people. Despite never reaching the heights of some of his contemporaries, there were a few nice highlights over his career. Catching Mike Whitney when Australia needed 2 off 3 to win in a one day match at Perth in 1988. Whit wanted to be the hero twice in a week but didnt get hold of it and Bracewell took the catch as NZ won the match by 1 run - Top scoring with 110 in New Zealand's test win over England in 1986 in England. It was a pivotal knock as the series finished 1-0 to New Zealand. It was their frst series win in England - Bowling Allan Border with the original ball of the century at the SCG in 1985. It turned a lot and hit the top of AB's Off stump. It was a beauty from Bracewell - He did fade with the bat. 5 of his last 9 test innings were ducks.

Bracewell remains New Zealand's second most successful spinner (after Daniel Vettori) of all time. He took 102 wickets at a decent average of 35.81. His best figures were 6/32 vs Australia in 1986 at Auckland. With the series level at 0-0 and Australia having secured a 56 run first innings lead, it was Bracewell and not Hadlee that won the test and the series for New Zealand. After rolling Australia for 103 New Zealand won the test by 8 wickets.

Bracewell scored 1001 runs in Tests, and 512 in ODI matches, with late-order hard-hitting right hand batting, and took 102 Test and 33 ODI wickets with his right-arm off-breaks. He holds the record for the longest ODI career without scoring a half-century or taking a three-wicket haul. His Test career included one century – 110 against England on 7 August 1986. He scored four first-class centuries in all as part of the 4,354 first class runs during a career for Auckland and Otago. He took 522 first class wickets.

A resourceful offspinner with a high action, and a useful, hard-hitting batsman, John Bracewell's strike rate of a wicket every 82 balls was very respectable for a spinner in the 1980s, when the art was virtually dead. He took three six-fors, all of them in New Zealand wins, the most famous of which was at Auckland in 1985-86. Bracewell's 6 for 32 helped the Kiwis to a victory that made them the first side to beat Australia in two series in one winter, and he became the first New Zealand spinner to take a ten-for. He could belt the ball too, and at Sydney earlier in the same winter he bashed 83 not out in a last-wicket partnership of 124 with Stephen Boock.

As the NZ coach, he guided New Zealand through a moderately successful period and took them to his first World Cup as coach with momentum having won the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy for the first time. After the 2007 World Cup, where New Zealand finished semi-finalists, he was give a two-year extension as coach. Bracewell's approach to team selection fell under scrutiny during the 2006/2007 season. Despite levelling the home series with Sri Lanka two-all, New Zealand's top order batting has consistently displayed frailty, and this was most apparent after New Zealand compiled a dismal team total of 73 in one ODI during that series. Moreover, Bracewell has opted for a "rotation" policy within his squad for determining team selections, meaning the batting line-up has been shuffled consistently between successive ODIs. This has received criticism from local media who highlight that New Zealand Cricket is not currently afforded the luxury of a reserve pool of competitive international players.

John Bracewell still has the record for the most catches taken by a substitute fielder in an ODI innings with 4. In 1990, Bracewell was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal. These days, John is bringing his expertise from the cricket pitch to lawns and gardens as a Franchise Development Manager for Crewcut Lawn & Garden.