Famouos Cricketers No 92 - Ian Chappell

exclusive rights to the Australia-West Indies series of 1975/76, but the Australian Cricket Board sold the rights to the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the equivalent of the BBC. Another bid, for the Pakistan series of 1976/77, also lost out to a lower bid fromABC. Packer, seeing the authorities rebuff the first overtures of the globalised commercial TV we know so well today, realised he could organise his own matches. He had already explored the idea of a one-off celebrity match as early as 1975. Bobby Simpson was approached and he suggested Ian Chappell, still seen as the spiritual leader of a resurgent Australia even after his brother had taken over. By the time Packer’s series of matches became public knowledge 35 players had been signed. Some of the Australians were also retired, like Redpath and Ross Edwards, but there were enough current players to prevent Australia playing any matches when they were engaged in exhibition matches. The whole issue became one of brinksmanship between World Series cricket and official cricket, with World Series contracting more and more Test players, and for the next two seasons two cricket worlds operated side by side. The original exhibition matches were dubbed ‘Supertests’ and Chappell, who captained Australia in every one, described it as the toughest cricket he was ever involved in. “The Supertests were definitely of first-class standard”, he has said. Tony Lewis, no supporter at the time, wrote “There is no doubt that the players on the field did care about the result; the old Test match fever plainly held them in its grip.” The matches were refused first-class status by the ACB. They saw the introduction of helmets to cricket. At home the WSC Australian team played a three match series against West Indies, followed by a two matches against the Rest of the World. Early in 1978/79 matches were played in New Zealand, seemingly to capitalise on the signing of Richard Hadlee, and the Australian season was followed by an Australian tour of West Indies, a series which saw the first international cricket in Antigua. World Series also adopted the one-day international format, until then barely exploited in Australia. Originally of 40 eight-ball overs per side, World Series finally went back to the six-ball over, some said to provide more advertising breaks for TV coverage. Floodlit cricket in coloured clothing was also introduced - it had been pioneered at exhibition matches in the USA - and this caught on to such an extent it probably ensured Channel 9’s eventual victory over establishment cricket. The name World Series Cricket survived to describe the floodlit ODI season in Australia which became part of the official programme from 1979/80, when Channel 9 won their TV rights and the players returned to their ‘official’ boards. After his retirement Chappell went straight to the Channel Nine commentary box, where he is still involved in presenting and commentating, and conducts the TV presentation of the toss before Test matches. During the 1980s he was co-presenter with Mike Gibson of the magazine programme Sports Saturday on the Nine Network. He is still forthright in his opinions and many think his ideas are an important contribution to the ongoing debate on cricket’s future. In breaks from media work he is a keen tennis player. 7