![]() ![]() The Australian Cricket Board ruled that those players who had signed were ineligible to tour. (It later turned out that Hilditch had signed too but changed his mind.) Then a bombshell hit – it was revealed Wood, Wellham, Phillips, Rixon, Alderman, McCurdy and Bennett had all signed to play for two seasons in South Africa, then banned from official international cricket because of the policies of its apartheid government. The most notable omission was probably Kim Hughes, who’d been dropped after poor form with the bat. Holland and Bennett were coming off excellent seasons. Phillips wasn’t impressing anyone with his keeping but his batting had fight, and Rixon was an excellent backup.Īlderman had enjoyed tremendous success in England in 1981 and McCurdy, McDermott and Lawson were all good bowlers. The selections of Matthews and O’Donnell weren’t really justified by domestic form at the time, but they’ve never had to be when it comes to young all rounders. That wasn’t a bad squad – a mixture of experience and youth. So there was cautious optimism when the squad for the 1985 Ashes tour was announced: Some new talent was emerging – like David Boon and Craig McDermott – and some old players were making comebacks, like Andrew Hilditch and Terry Alderman. Towards the end of the 1984-85 season, however, there were some signs of recovery – Australia beat the West Indies in a one-day final, and in the fifth Test in Sydney. Not in 1978-79, when Kerry Packer’s players weren’t considered for selection, but after the peace treaty: the 1985 Ashes.Īustralian cricket had gone through a rough trot over the previous 12 months, including the retirement of Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh, six Tests defeats in a row to the West Indies, and the tearful resignation of Kim Hughes from the captaincy. ![]()
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