Veteran commentator Ian Chappell, a former cricketer for Australia, has decided to retire from cricket commentary. Chappell, who has been involved in commentary for the previous 45 years or so, claimed that media mogul Kerry Packer repeatedly wanted to fire him during the World Series Cricket.
The former Australian captain took the microphone after 75 Test matches in which he represented his nation. With 5345 runs in the game’s longest format, the batter had a respectable career as a player. In 1977, Ian Chappell opted to perform commentary after retiring.
“I remember the day when I knew I’d had enough of playing cricket,” the 78-year-old told the Sydney Morning Herald. I looked at the clock and it was five past 11 on a day of play and I thought, ‘S***, if you’re clock-watching at that time, I have to go,”
HE SAID.
The prominent commentator also shed light on his early days in commentary and said that his career almost came to an end before even starting due to the mood swings of Kerry Packer.
“Kerry wanted to sack me a couple of times. He used to get the shits about one-day cricket, because that was his baby … With Kerry it was just like a storm, you’d let it blow over till the next one came,”
CHAPPELL ADDED.
Chappell raises concern on the downfall of Test cricket
The former Australian captain added that although viewers of his commentary may have thought of him as a “prick,” he believed he deserved to be in the commentary booth. Chappell has also questioned the continued relevance of franchise-based cricket worldwide and the viability of Test cricket.
Chappell loved talking about life with the late Richie Benaud and added that while he didn’t foresee the demise of Test cricket in his lifetime, he wasn’t very optimistic about its future.
“(Test cricket) won’t die in my lifetime. But who’ll be playing it? That’s the big question,”
CHAPPELL TOLD CHANNEL 9.
