Greg Chappell stands high in the list of great Australian batsmen. His retirement in 1984 – at the same time as Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh – was marked by this Almanack assessment of their careers by former colleague Paul Sheahan.
Paul Sheahan played in 31 Tests for Australia between 1967 and 1974.
For centuries the magical qualities of the number three have fascinated mathematicians. Even the Almighty moves in threes – Father, Son and Holy Ghost – and without any disrespect, there would be many Australians who believe that the deeds of their revered trio, Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rodney Marsh, approach divine proportions!
The mere mention of their names evokes the complete gamut of emotions from cricket followers round the world. All three lived through the most turbulent period in modern-day cricket – the schism caused by the creation of World Series Cricket. They were regarded, in many eyes, as prime movers in the establishment of Mr Kerry Packer’s brand of cricketing entertainment, and, as a consequence, they incurred the wrath of the Establishment. As well, each one has been involved in incidents which have brought little credit upon themselves and of which, given the luxury of hindsight, they may not be particularly proud.
In assessing their careers, both individually and collectively, it is difficult not to be at least partially influenced by the controversy that surrounded the latter parts of their playing days. However, each of them holds a world Test record: Chappell, the number of catches by a fieldsman, Lillee, the number of wickets by a bowler, and Marsh, the number of catches and dismissals by a wicketkeeper. They have performed miraculous cricketing deeds. I feel honoured to have been asked to write this article, in which I hope that I can do justice to them and to posterity.
The Australian side were involved at that time in incidents which, as a schoolmaster, I found difficult to forgive and would not have been proud to be a part of. By implication they encouraged youngsters to follow their examples. But their defiance and truculence have to be tempered by the tension that existed between the players and the administrators, who had lost contact with each other. How galling and how sad that just as the latter were preening themselves, justifiably, at the success of the Centenary Test in Melbourne in March 1977, the players were negotiating to leave the scene. Homerian treachery? Perhaps. Yet the secrecy merely served to underline the gulf that existed.
That said, Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh performed with great distinction and wonderful success for Australia, and the effect of their absence has already been felt dramatically.
