All original content on this site is © 2004 - 2006 CAITE Inc. All borrowed images and articles remain copyrighted to their owners and no claim of ownership is made.

Gilly a natural born thriller

Source: The Australian - June 18, 2005

THE only hint of street fighter in the world's most terrifying hitter is a faint outline of facial stubble. But even that points more to the schedule of a professional cricketer rather than any attempt to exude a tough-guy image.

Dressed casually in cargo pants, T-shirt and the ever-present sponsor's cap, Adam Gilchrist exchanges pleasantries with well-wishers in the foyer of Australia's Cardiff hotel before settling in to a chair in a smoke-filled lounge.

In this setting, it's difficult to reconcile just how it is that the engaging 33-year-old is capable of reducing the game's best bowlers to nervous wrecks when they view him from the top of their run-ups.

It doesn't help that he chuckles at news that a poll of cricket's 20 leading international bowlers has voted him cricket's scariest one-day batsman, ahead of renowned sluggers Brian Lara of the West Indies, Pakistan's Shahid Afridi and England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.

"Mmm, thank you," he says, battling to suppress his smirk.

"I'm not sure what the pre-requisites were to get picked for this. I don't know what to say, other than it's interesting.

"Anything from your peers is nice, but it's almost a hypothetical scenario. It seems to me it's raising something to talk about just for the sake of it, so I can't see how it's anything substantial at all."

Having dealt with the latest in a string of accolades with a similar level of disdain he displays towards new, white cricket balls, Gilchrist acknowledges there is one contrived list on which he was delighted to appear.

Former Australia captain and commentary doyen Richie Benaud selected the Lismore-born wicketkeeper-batsman as one of only three current players in his much-publicised world XI of the 20th century.

The others were Gilchrist's Test team-mate Shane Warne and India's batting deity, Sachin Tendulkar.

"When Richie Benaud named me in his best ever XI, that's the one that really jumps out," Gilchrist said.

"Everyone's got their own opinion on that, but knowing the esteem in which Richie is held as a judge of a cricketer and having the right to comment on the game, that's something I hold very close to me.

"That's on an individual level. But unfortunately those sorts of honours really do amount to nothing if the team is not doing well. And luckily we have done well more often than not over recent years.

"It only takes a couple of little slip-ups to put it all in perspective and make you feel that everything you have achieved has been forgotten about."

The inference is clear. Despite their remarkable run of success over the past six years - which not altogether coincidentally corresponds with Gilchrist's appearance in the national team - the Australians take defeat poorly.

With defeat comes criticism and Gilchrist is one of many within the squad who feels sweeping judgments are made on the basis of one or two poor performances, which shows a level of disrespect for what this group of players has achieved.

"Every time you go out on that big stage you are exposing yourself to any number of scenarios," he said. "You try your hardest to make it a happy scenario, but a quick reality check makes you realise how quickly the consumers of the game can make you feel differently about yourself.

"And maybe that's why we've managed to maintain the standards for so long. Maybe it's a case of believing in yourself but never really being totally sure that others believe in you, or exactly what other people's perception of you is.

"So every time you go out there, you are trying to justify your existence, justify your position in the team, justify why this team carries the tag as the world's best.

"That inspires you to keep trying to prove yourself."

Although he was not part of the XI that slumped to defeat against battling county team Somerset on Wednesday, Gilchrist understood his captain's post-match disappointment, frustration and anger.

But he said the following day's post-mortem contained no recriminations or finger-pointing, but a measured examination of where players' skills were found wanting and how those shortcomings were responsible for the result.

Given his professionalism, crowd-drawing power and aplomb as an off-field ambassador, it is surprising to learn Gilchrist has excited very little interest from English county teams chasing short or long-term overseas players.

But before cricket directors from all over the Old Dart start dialling Gilchrist's manager, they should be aware that life as a highly remunerated British professional does not appeal to the doting father-of-two.

"I can't really see it ever fitting in, not while I'm playing international cricket anyway," Gilchrist said. "There are too few breaks and if I get a break I would rather spend that time with family.

"As for after my international career is over, I doubt it. There's obviously plenty of money flying around over here, but I wonder whether I would be able to hit the right standard if that was my only incentive.

"All the cricket we play at the moment is for a reason, whether it be for Australia or Western Australia. We're trying to get to an end result of a Pura Cup or a Test series win or a one-day series win.

"Coming to play county cricket I know that you join a team that's trying to win a championship but it has no bearing or no meaning whether you walk away a winner or a loser.

"The cold, hard facts are that you are coming here to get paid to try to do a job for them."

- ANDREW RAMSEY