Biography

Greg Chappell will always remain one of the best cricketers known to have an eye for piling up mammoth scores. He announced his arrival and retirement from the game in style as he scored a century on both occasions.

Known for being the calmest of them all, bowlers found it tough to crack him and enter his mind. Although his batting laurels failed to enshrine his name in the record books, the great Aussie batsman went on to score 22 centuries in his career.

Greg's exceptional 621 runs in the World Series Cricket 'SuperTests' in the Caribbean in 1979 will be cherished as one of the most gritting performances, as he faced the then West Indian bowling attack without trepidation. His brother Ian went on to become a more celebrated skipper for Australia, but Greg's stint as a captain was not counted out. He won 21 of 48 Tests that he captained and will be remembered for proudly reclaiming The Ashes in 1982-83, after losing it earlier in 1977. A master tactician, Greg is known to be a shrewd thinker and a fierce competitor, and even once instructed his brother Trevor to bowl underarm to protect the interests of his team.

After withdrawing his services from the playing world, Greg took up coaching responsibilities and went on to coach many sides, including South Australia and a stint with Pakistan’s National Cricket Academy. Appointed coach of the Indian team in 2005, Greg failed to make a mark, as he went on to become the most controversial coaches in Indian history owing to his strategies that developed cracks within the team that included a public fall-out with the then skipper, Sourav Ganguly. However, fans of the game will recognize his contribution towards cricket and his unprecedented personality that went on to inspire many cricketers.