Adam Gilchrist's retirement

This post was originally posted in 2008 over at http://www.silkenmusings.com/ but I am moving it here as I intend to use this site for my sports commentary.

Today, one of my favourite cricketers has retired. Adam Gilchrist was one of the most exciting players I have ever had the privilege of watching. He was a bold player and he has lived his life in the same way.

Adam's determination to succeed was shown in his decision to leave New South Wales to go live on the other side of the country in order to get a position as a wicketkeeper batsman. Adam was not as good a wicketkeeper as Ian Healy, but he nevertheless managed some remarkable takes. He was a Test quality wicketkeeper who was as good as most of the other wicketkeepers in the world. He has worked hard to earn the wicketkeeping world record that he will retire with.

I will always remember Adam for his batting. He was the most fluent batsman that I've ever seen. Greg Chappell commented after Adam had made a handful of Test centuries that most of them ranked among the best innings that he'd ever seen. That comment rings true still.

Adam played only 2 innings of significance in the last 12 months of his career yet both of them were great and memorable innings. The first was his magnificent 57 ball hundred against England at the WACA in 2006 where he shredded Monty Panesar in particular, peeling 24 runs off just one over. The 7 men guarding the boundaries could do little to prevent them reaching the boundary, and nothing to stop the ball going over the boundary!

After a scratchy World Cup with the bat where his greatest achievement had been taking some shine off the new ball to allow Matthew Hayden to cut loose, his squash ball inspired assault upon Sri Lanka in the World Cup final virtually guaranteed an Australian victory. He plundered 149 off 104 balls and was in total command of the bowling, blasting the ball to all parts of the ground and forcing the spectators to keep a constant wary eye out for white missiles heading in their direction.

While he was doing this, Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting were both having some troubles with the pitch, as the Sri Lankans were to as well. Adam was so fluent that there weren't any troubles for him. Despite him only having 38 overs to play with, he was a distinct possibility of 200 at the time of his dismissal.

There was some controversy when Ian Healy was denied the chance to have a farewell Test in front of his home crowd in 1999 and Adam Gilchrist was selected for his debut test. The selectors made the call that Adam was now the best man for the job and should be selected. Against a strong Pakistan bowling line up he scored a fine 86 on debut.

That was just the entree for his spectacular, unbeaten, 149 in the next Test in Hobart. Australia were on the ropes at 126/5 chasing 369 when he arrived at the crease with Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram in fine form. Adam proceeded to take just 163 balls to dispatch a very good attack to all parts of the ground to spearhead an unlikely Australian victory. There were few questions asked about his position in the team after that.

What always impressed and excited me about Adam was his ability to hit good balls to and over the boundary with such ease. The ball always seemed to be flowing off the middle of his bat. He played very aggressively and was often picked off but it seemed almost impossible for a bowler to tie him down. He could hit so easily on both sides of the wicket.

I loved his attitude when batting with Glenn McGrath in particular. Allan Border and Steve Waugh had made an artform of taking the single with the tailender at the crease and preserving their wicket and average. Adam was willing to take the single if he had to, but preferred to hit it to or over the fence. His first century in England he scored 152, sharing a 63 run partnership with Glenn McGrath. McGrath's contribution to this innings was a well struck single. Despite England placing most of their team on the fence, they were unable to prevent the barrage of runs that flowed from Gilchrist's bat, such was the power and placement of his strokes.

Similarly, when an Australian declaration was impending, Gilchrist would hit in the air, determined to add quick runs. Quite often he would get out as a result, when a more conservative approach would have protected his wicket. That, however, was not his way, he played for the team not for his batting average.

For a man who consistently captivated with his boundary hitting and clearing, one of the most impressive strokes of his career was a single. When Steve Waugh made his career saving hundred in Sydney, he found himself at the other end with 2 balls left in the day, 98 runs next to his name, a raucous home crowd seeking a fairytale finish and a Bill Lawry inspired TV audience seeking the same. There was little doubt about the next ball, with Gilchrist calmly deflecting it away to the outfield for an easy single, leaving the stage clear for his captain.

Adam got the chance to captain himself due to injuries to both Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting. He handled the position well, making a typically bold declaration against England in his first test as captain. This one didn't work as Mark Butcher played a matchwinning hand but Adam took it on the chin.

The highlight of his captaincy career was leading Australia to victory against India in 2004. This had been the one area where Australia had failed to win during their dominant period. Going into the series there were concerns that the twin role of wicketkeeping and captaincy would drag down his batting. His superb 104 off 109 balls in the first Test answered that question and set Australia up for a 1-0 lead in the series.

Adam was a rare personality who would often give an honest answer to a question. This got him into trouble on several occasions but made him a more interesting person. His decision to start walking when he was out was virtually unprecedented for an Australian in the modern era. In the way of modern cricket he may well have noticed the conflict with the culture of appealing in cricket. Bowlers are rarely pleased if the wicketkeeper has not joined their appeal, irrespective of how silly it is. Adam wasn't quite able to resolve that conflict as he continued to appeal vigorously.

Adam was lucky to come into a great team when he debuted and to play with a great team all his career. He was on the winning side in 73 of his 96 Tests and in all 3 World Cups that he played. He also made a big contribution to those victories with his magnificent batting and his regular catching. He kept well to Shane Warne and that was the most important test of his wicketkeeping.

I believe he has chosen the right time to go. While his recent centuries were great innings that will be recalled for a long time, they were also rare events. Most of the time, he was being picked off playing aggressive shots. Similarly, his wicketkeeping had deteriorated, while he often dropped chances, he rarely dropped simple ones, and several of those escaped his grasp in his final summer.

Adam Gilchrist revolutionised the role of the wicketkeeper in modern cricket. Before he arrived on the scene, wicketkeepers were chosen primarily due to their skills with the gloves. Nowadays, wicketkeepers who are not scoring runs on a regular basis are in grave danger of finding themselves back in first class cricket. Even a superb keeper such as Chris Read has not been able to hold down a Test spot due to his weak batting.

Few players can say that they have changed the way a game is played. Of all his achievements, it is that change that will form the greatest part of the Gilchrist legacy. For me though, I treasure the privilege of having watched his pure ball striking and I will always remember the grace he brought to a team that generally lacked it.

Farewell Adam and thanks for the memories!