Adam Craig Gilchrist

Adam Craig Gilchrist (Gilly) (born 14 November 1971 in Bellingen, New South Wales) is an Australian cricketer. Gilchrist is an outstanding, aggressive left-handed batsman and effective wicketkeeper, combining the two roles for the Australian national team.

Career

Early career

He made his first-class debut for New South Wales in the 1992-1993 season, although he struggled to hold down a regular place in the side due to the presence of incumbent Phil Emery.

His first step to becoming a pivotal national team member was his move to Western Australia, where he replaced Tim Zoehrer as wicketkeeper, and soon enough he was playing one-day international cricket for Australia, his debut coming against South Africa at Faridabad, October 25, 1996.

International career

Gilchrist quickly established himself as the Australian one-day side’s wicketkeeper, ousting Ian Healy in the process. When Healy retired for the 1999-2000 season, Gilchrist made his Test debut against Pakistan. In just his second Test match he made 149 not out to help guide Australia to victory in a game that looked lost, and an unbeaten 204 against South Africa helped Australia to another win.

His aggressive batting and ability as wicketkeeper has meant that Gilchrist has become a vital member of the Australian side, his importance underlined by the fact he has captained Australia in both forms of the game. Gilchrist was captain of the Australian side (in place of the injured Ricky Ponting) that won the series 2-1 on their 2004 tour of India, the first Australian side to do this since 1969.

Gilchrist and Zimbabwean contemporary Andy Flower are generally considered the best batsmen to play as regular wicketkeepers for their national teams. The standard of batting expected of wicketkeepers has improved over the course of cricket history and particularly in the past few decades, but both are of such quality as to be regarded amongst the finest batsmen of their generation regardless of their wicketkeeping abilities. Comparing them is difficult. In Test cricket, Flower played as a top-order batsman who had to serve as the backbone of a weak Zimbabwe lineup, whereas Gilchrist usually has the luxury of going in at number seven after the strong Australian batting had tired opposition bowlers and was consequently able to use his attacking prowess to slaughter such a weakened attack, with a scoring rate more akin to one-day cricket than test matches. He is almost certainly the strongest batsman ever to regularly play at number seven, though this is mainly a reflection of the strength of the Australian team that they can afford to play him there. Gilchrist has a full complement of attacking shots; he is equally powerful on the back or front foot, making him extremely difficult to bowl to. Perhaps his main weakness for bowlers to exploit is his very propensity for attacking play. He briefly held the record for the fastest double century in tests, requiring 212 balls for the feat in a test against South Africa in Johannesburg in January 2002 (the record was then broken in an amazing innings by Nathan Astle in March of that year).

Gilchrist’s attacking batting has been a key part of Australia’s one-day success, as he usually opens the batting. He was a key part of the successful 2003 cricket World Cup campaign.

Gilchrist’s skills as a keeper are sometimes questioned; few people would claim that he is the best keeper in Australia (for instance, Victorian wicketkeeper Darren Berry was regarded by many as the best Australian keeper of the 1990’s and early 2000’s). In this role, he is perhaps disadvantaged by his relatively tall stature for a pure wicketkeeper. However, while perhaps not as elegant as some he has managed to wicketkeep to legspinner Shane Warne effectively for many years, pulling off many stumpings, missing relatively few catching chances and letting through relatively few byes.

As at May 2005 Gilchrist has captained Australia in six Test matches and eight one-day internationals.

Controversy

Gilchrist has not shied from controversy in his international career, igniting the ‘walking debate’ by walking (declaring that he is out even though the umpire said he was not out) during the 2003 World Cup semi-final. He walked again during the Test series against India and has since proclaimed himself to be a ‘walker’.

Sponsorship

In June of 2004, Australian cricket sponsorTravelex appointed Gilchrist as a non-executive director of its Australasian board. Gilchrist is also personally sponsored by Puma, signing a multi-million dollar deal in May 2004.

Awards

One of only two Australian cricketers currently playing the game, to be in Richie Benaud’s Greatest XI, along with Shane Warne
One of five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 2002
Australia’s one-day international player of the year in 2003 and 2004
Selected in the ICC World XI for the charity series against the ACC Asian XI, 2004 and 2005

Outside cricket

Gilchrist is married to Mel and has a son, Harrison.

Teams

International
Australia (current)

Australian state
Western Warriors (current)
New South Wales Blues

IPL

Deccan chargers

Career highlights

Tests

Test Debut: vs Pakistan, Brisbane, 1999-2000
Latest Test: vs New Zealand, Auckland, 2004-2005
Gilchrist’s best Test batting score of 204 not out was made against South Africa, Johannesburg, 2001-2002
He has captained Australia in six Tests: four wins, one loss, one draw

One-day internationals

ODI Debut: vs South Africa, Faridabad, 1996-1997
Latest ODI: vs New Zealand, Napier, 2004-2005
Gilchrist’s best ODI batting score of 172 was made against Zimbabwe, Hobart, 2003-2004
He has captained Australia in eight ODIs: seven wins, one loss