Cricker Player History

Don Bradman (1928-1948)
Born 27 August 1908 at Cootamundra, New South Wales, Australia Died 25 February 2001 at Kensington Park, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Don Bradman was simply the greatest run machine the game has known. A relatively short man, he was relentless in his pursuit of high scores. He made 12 Test double-centuries and went over 300 twice. He held the record highest score both for Tests (334) and first-class cricket (452*). His 29 Test centuries stood as the world record for many years, and he is the only man to score 100 first-class centuries without appearing in county cricket. It is unlikely that anyone will approach his Test batting average of 99.94. Famously, he was dismissed for a duck by Eric Hollies in his final Test innings at The Oval in 1948 when he needed just four to maintain his career average over 100. He was a shrewd captain and involved for many years in cricket administration. He was knighted soon after retiring from playing.

Ian Chappell (1964-1980)
Born 26 September 1943 at Unley, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
A highly determined competitor, Ian Chappell was one of Australia’s most notable captains. As a middle-order batsman he was known more for his grit than his elegance and was a particularly good hooker of the ball. He captained the team in 30 Tests between 1971 and 1975. In a Test match against New Zealand at Wellington in 1974 he and his brother Greg remarkably both scored two centuries in the match. A man who did not always see eye-to-eye with the administrators of the day, he was an influential figure in World Series cricket. He was also a fine slip fielder and useful leg-spin bowler. He spent many years as a knowledgeable and outspoken TV commentator.

Kapil Dev (1978-1994)
Born 6 January 1959 at Chandigarh, Punjab, India
Kapil Dev was a swashbuckling all-rounder. He was the first genuinely successful fast bowler produced by India and went on to become the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket. He was particularly skillful in his use of swing. His best bowling of 9-83 came against West Indies at Ahmedabad in 1983, the first captain to take nine wickets in a Test innings. With the bat he was a natural striker of the ball who scored his runs quickly, once saving the follow-on in a Test match at Lord’s by hitting four consecutive sixes off Eddie Hemmings with number 11 at the other end. As captain he led India to a surprise win in the 1983 World Cup. During that World Cup he played his most famous innings, rescuing India from 17-5 against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells with 175*. In all, he captained the team in 34 Tests and 74 ODIs.

Sunil Gavaskar (1971-1987)
Born 10 July 1949 at Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
One of the game’s great opening batsman, Sunil Gavaskar was the first player to reach 10 000 Test runs and held the world record for most centuries for many years. A short man with an excellent technique, he made an immediate impact on Test cricket when he scored 774 runs at an average of 154.80 in his first series against West Indies in 1971. He was the first player to score two centuries in a Test match on three separate occasions. He was the first Indian fielder to take 100 Test catches and he captained India in a then record 47 Tests and also 37 ODIs. In retirement he served as Chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee as well as being a TV commentator.

Gordon Greenidge (1974-1991)
Born 1 May 1951 at Black Bess, St Peter, Barbados
Gordon Greenidge was a destructive opening batsman. On Test debut he scored 93 and 107 against India at Bangalore in 1974. At Lord’s in 1984 he led West Indies to a memorable nine wicket victory smashing 214* when West Indies were set 342 in less than a day to win. In ODIs his average of over 45 is one of the highest in the world. With Desmond Haynes he formed one of the most successful opening pairs. Together they made 16 first wicket century partnerships in Tests and 15 in ODIs, both establishing world records. He also opened with Barry Richards for Hampshire for many years. He did some coaching after retirement, and performed this role for Bangladesh at the 1999 World Cup.

Richard Hadlee (1972-1990)
Born 3 July 1951 at St Albans, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
Richard Hadlee was the best all-rounder New Zealand’s best all-rounder. One of the finest exponents of fast-medium bowling the game has seen he became Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker. He became particularly successful when he shortened his run-up and concentrated on impeccable control. His Test wickets came at a rate of more than five per Test. His best bowling was in the Test against Australia at Brisbane in 1985 when he took 15-123 in the match including 9-52 in the first innings. He was also a hard-hitting batsman and one of the few men to complete the double of 3 000 runs and 300 wickets in Tests. Playing for Nottinghamshire in 1984 he completed a carefully planned and well executed double of 1 000 runs and 100 wickets in the first-class season. He was knighted shortly before his final Test match in 1990.

Imran Khan (1971-1992)
Born 25 November 1952 at Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Imran Khan was an inspirational all-rounder for Pakistan for over 20 years. When free of injury he was capable of bowling genuinely quickly and he was a clean hitter with the bat. He was the first Pakistani to take 300 Test wickets and the third man overall to complete the double of 3 000 runs and 300 wickets in Tests. His most impressive series as a bowler was in 1982/83 when he took 40 wickets at an average of 13.95 in six Tests in a high-scoring series against India at home. He captained Pakistan in 48 Tests and 139 ODIs (both records for Pakistan). The highlight of his captaincy was leading his team to victory in the 1992 World Cup. He founded a cancer hospital in Lahore and entered politics in 1996.

Javed Miandad (1975-1996)
Born 12 June 1957 at Karachi, Sind, Pakistan
Javed Miandad was a precocious talent who made his debut for Pakistan the day before his 18th birthday during the 1975 World Cup. He made 163 on Test debut against New Zealand at Lahore in 1976 and at Karachi later in the series scored the first of his six Test double-centuries. He was the youngest to score a Test 200 at the age of 19 years, 141 days. He was a middle-order batsman with a touch of genius possessing wonderful off-side strokes. At the end of his career he was easily Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in both Tests and ODIs. He was a useful leg-spin bowler, fine cover fielder and occasional wicket-keeper who took a stumping in Test cricket and two in ODIs. He captained Pakistan in 34 Tests and 62 ODIs and had a few stints as their coach.

Michael Holding (1975-1987)
Born 16 February 1954 at Half Way Tree, Kingston, Jamaica
Michael Holding was one of the great West Indian fast bowlers of the 1970s and 1980s. Known as ‘Whispering Death’ because of light-footed run-up, he generated great speed and bounce. He was at the peak of his powers in the Test against England at The Oval in 1976 when he took 14-149 in the match, including 8-92 in the first innings. The 14 wickets included nine bowled and three lbws. He bowled what is regarded as one of the great overs in Test to Geoff Boycott at Bridgetown in 1981. Each ball got progressively faster until the sixth ball clean bowled him. Although a moderate batsman he did score six Test fifties. He became a TV commentator in retirement.

Dennis Lillee (1971-1984)
Born 18 July 1949 at Subiaco, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Dennis Lillee had a classical fast bowling action and became the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket. He bowled with much hostility and unrelenting determination. It was this determination that enabled him to recover from serious stress fractures that he suffered early in his career. He and Jeff Thomson were one of the most feared opening bowling combinations of all-time. He reserved his best performances for Ashes series and took 167 Test wickets at an average of 21.00 against England. He was the first bowler to take 100 wickets in ODIs and was most successful in World Series cricket. A tail-ender who played with a straight bat (and once famously with an aluminum one) his best Test innings was 73* against England at Lord’s in 1975. He became a noted fast bowling coach, starting an academy in Chennai.

Viv Richards (1974-1991)
Born 7 March 1952 at St John's, Antigua.

Viv Richards was the outstanding batsman of his era and one of the best of all-time. Possessing all the shots he was a powerful attacking batsman who would destroy bowling attacks. He was a superb hooker who refused to wear a helmet. In four Tests on the 1976 tour of England he scored 829 runs at an average of 118.42 with two double-centuries. He was man of the match in the 1979 World Cup final with an innings of 138* against England at Lord’s. Known as the ‘Master Blaster’ he smashed Test cricket’s fastest century off 56 balls against England at St John’s in 1986. He was a most useful off-spinner, especially in ODIs, and a brilliant fielder remembered for affecting three run outs in the 1975 World Cup final. He captained West Indies in 43 Tests and 108 ODIs and was given a knighthood in 1999 by his native Antigua.

Jim Laker (1948-1959)
Born 9 February 1922 at Frizinghall, Bradford, Yorkshire, EnglandDied 23 April 1986 at Putney, London, England
Jim Laker was an off-spinner who generated great turn and bowled with relentless accuracy. He was most famous for his extraordinary world record match figures of 19-90 (9-37 and 10-53) in the Test against Australia at Manchester in 1956. Tony Lock took the other wicket in the match. Laker and left-arm spinner Lock formed one of the best spin-bowling combinations in English cricket history. They played for years together for both England and a highly successful Surrey team. In that 1956 series he took 46 wickets at an average of 9.60. In all first-class cricket he took nearly 2 000 wickets. He was also a useful lower-order batsman who scored two first-class centuries and became a popular TV commentator.

Clive Lloyd (1966-1985)
Born 31 August 1944 at Queenstown, Georgetown, Demerara, Guyana
A strong tall man, Clive Lloyd was a middle-order batsman who hit the ball with tremendous power. He was one of West Indies most successful captains, winning 36 and losing just 12 of his record 74 Tests in charge. He also led them in 81 ODIs and to two World Cup titles in 1975 and 1979. In the 1975 final he struck a match-winning 102 off 85 balls. He made his highest Test score of 242* against India at Bombay in 1975. He was the first West Indian to appear in 100 Tests. He was a useful medium-pacer. As a fielder he one of the finest cover fielders around until knee injuries got the better of him and he moved into the slips. He stayed involved in the game as West Indies coach and as an ICC Match Referee.

Brian Statham (1951-1965)
Born 17 June 1930 at Gorton, Manchester, Lancashire, England,

Died 10 June 2000 at Stockport, Cheshire, England.
Brian Statham was an impeccable exponent of line and length bowling and known as one of the gentlemen of the game. He bowled straight at good pace and extracted seam movement both ways. A measure of his accuracy is that 102 of his 252 Test wickets were bowled and 42 lbw. He passed Alec Bedser’s world record of 236 Test wickets. He formed his most effective new-ball partnership with Fred Trueman, although prior to this he also provided the perfect foil for Frank Tyson. His best Test series was against South Africa in 1960 when he took 27 wickets at an average of 18.18. He took over 2 200 first-class wickets at an average of 16, mostly for Lancashire. He was a moderate batsman and a reliable fielder in the deep.

Garry Sobers (1954-1974)
Born 28 July at 1936 Chelsea Road, Bay Land, St Michael, Barbados

Garry Sobers is widely regarded as the best all-rounder the game has seen. An attacking left-hander, he would have been an all-time great purely for his batting. He set a then Test record highest score of 365* against Pakistan at Kingston in 1958 and went on to become the leading run-scorer in Tests. In 1968, playing for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan at Swansea, he became the first batsman to hit six sixes in an over in first-class cricket. The unfortunate bowler was Malcolm Nash. He had incredible versatility as a bowler. He could take the new ball as a fast-medium let-arm bowler, bowl orthodox left-arm spin and bowl left-arm wrist-spin with equal ability. In addition he was a brilliant fielder, particularly as a close catcher. His best all-round series was in 1966 in England when he led his team to a series victory with 722 runs at 103.14, 20 wickets at 27.25 and 10 catches. He captained West Indies in 39 Tests with mixed success. He was knighted in 1975.