Barry Richards vs Mark Ramprakash

[Line and Length]

What I do find interesting about that 1970 series.. Garth McKenzie was considered the best pace bowler in the world (probably only because Pollock and Procter hadn’t played tests for 3 years tbf), he’d had an excellent county season in England in 69 and he’d recently taken 21 wickets @ 21 in India barely a month before and was on top of the world.

South Africa absolutely destroyed him. On tour matches - 9 @ 35.33, in the test series 1/333. No 100% confirmed reason why. His last test was less than a year later at 29. Continued to bowl well in County for Leicestershire for a few years tho. Unsure if it was on his terms that he no longer played tests or if it was selection, have seen conflicting reports. Signed for WSC later on despite not having played FC for a couple of years, didn’t do too well iirc.

One report suggests McKenzie was suffering hepatitis during the SA tour and hadn't fully recovered during the 1970/71 Ashes series.
He wasn't selected for the 1972/73 Test series against Pakistan. I recall there were two suggested reasons for this put forward in the W.A. media. One suggestion was, that if he played, the under-prepared visitors would be, no match for his bowling so younger quicks (one being DKL) were selected. Another suggestion was that Richie Benaud put pressure on the selectors not to pick McKenzie as he was just 2 wickets shy of Benaud's Test record. Personally I think it was lack of recent Test form and the emergence of Dennis Lillee as the premier fast bowler that led to him being overlooked and the W.A. media was showing more than a little bias.

 

[DrWolverine]

Mark Ramprakash winning the poll

 

[sayon basak]

Mark Ramprakash winning the poll

Just to piss an individual off.