Biography

Graham McKenzie played for Australia between 1961 and 1971, picking up 246 Test wickets at less than 30 apiece. As a fast bowler, McKenzie was difficult to pick, a smooth run-up to the wicket barely revealing the pace that would be generated off it. In his third first class game against the touring West Indies side, he showed what he was made of, by picking 4/41, as a young 20-year-old.

Soon, McKenzie headed the pace attack in the absence of Alan Davidson, and on unhelpful, batting friendly tracks picked up wickets aplenty through sheer pace. In 1965, he became the first cricketer from Western Australia to be nominated as the Wisden Cricketer of the Year. Rather unbelievably, he was once dropped from the side against India, because the Indians found it difficult to handle the pacer, thus causing dwindling spectator interest. He became the youngest during his time to pick up 100 wickets, and he had 200 in his bag before he was 28 years old.

However, in the series against South Africa, in 1970, McKenzie struggled for form, picking up only one wicket giving away more than 300 runs and was unceremoniously sacked. He did not play Test cricket again, though he did play for the Australians in Kerry Packer’s WSC in 1977-78.