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Vale Ian Craig
- Thread starter Burgey
- Start date
archie mac
International Coach
Sad news. Hard to think of him as being that old. As you say a young captain and a young Test debutant. I was just reading about him and his disappointments during the 1953 tour of England.
the big bambino
International Captain
Played at a time of transition in Australian cricket and all respects to him for representing Australia in that difficult time.
Red
The normal awards that everyone else has
Have heard interviews with Craig a few times and he was a very thoughtful, clearly intelligent and articulate man.
I think he came to the captaincy in fairly unique circumstances. H was already a very young NSW captain when Neil Harvey (7 years Craig's senior) moved to NSW from Vic for work opportunities. I think when Harvey moved he had been Vic captain, but didn't take the NSW leadership and so the very young Craig (already NSW captain) was given the test leadership, as Benaud was still to establish himself.
Effectively, I think if Harvey hadn't moved states, Harvey probably would have captained Australia for a very long time. As it was, Craig was made captain, then fell ill by which time Benaud had established himself as a cricketer and leader.
Could be a bit wrong but I think that's the gist of it.
I think he came to the captaincy in fairly unique circumstances. H was already a very young NSW captain when Neil Harvey (7 years Craig's senior) moved to NSW from Vic for work opportunities. I think when Harvey moved he had been Vic captain, but didn't take the NSW leadership and so the very young Craig (already NSW captain) was given the test leadership, as Benaud was still to establish himself.
Effectively, I think if Harvey hadn't moved states, Harvey probably would have captained Australia for a very long time. As it was, Craig was made captain, then fell ill by which time Benaud had established himself as a cricketer and leader.
Could be a bit wrong but I think that's the gist of it.
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the big bambino
International Captain
I do get sick of Harvey's snipes and gripes against our modern teams but, yeah he should have captained Australia. My respect for him in a cricketing sense, has escalated on reading Ashley Mallet's opinions of him and his batting.
Mallet has a truncated article on cricinfo atm attributing Grimmett with turning him into a test match bowler. He relates a story where he met a 76 yo Grimmett at his pitch in the latter's Adelaide back yard and told the young Mallet how innocuous his bowling was. Grimmett said he could play Mallett blind folded and then proceeded to do just that!
Sorry for going off at a tangent on an RIP thread but since the diversion still talks about cricket hopefully its not too impolitic.
Mallet has a truncated article on cricinfo atm attributing Grimmett with turning him into a test match bowler. He relates a story where he met a 76 yo Grimmett at his pitch in the latter's Adelaide back yard and told the young Mallet how innocuous his bowling was. Grimmett said he could play Mallett blind folded and then proceeded to do just that!
Sorry for going off at a tangent on an RIP thread but since the diversion still talks about cricket hopefully its not too impolitic.
He appeared this way in the public comments I have seen and read. The interview I saw he recognised his unique place in Australia's cricket history and was very self-deprecating about his ability.
Is there a book about him ?