Greg Matthews

One of the greats produced by New South Wales, Greg Matthews was an interesting character, both on and off the field. Primarily an off-spinner who later solidified his batting skills, Matthews was a man who always put in more than a 100 percent effort in whatever he did on the cricketing field. Unlike many left-handers, his batting didn't make great viewing as flamboyancy wasn't his hallmark. Instead, attrition and grit were his main qualities with the willow, making him an efficient batsman who put a price on his wicket. In the domestic circuit, Matthews had made a name as a toiling off-spinner who could bowl marathon spells with a fair bit of accuracy. He had also shown his batting capabilities in a Sheffield Shield final. One thing led to another and Matthews soon got picked in the home summer of 1983-84 across both formats for Australia.

Right from his debut, it was evident that Matthews was a toughie, both skill wise and mentally. The off-spin was proving to be handy while his batting potential was there for all to see. The 1985-86 season probably is when Matthews got to his peak as an international cricketer, notching up big runs and also picking up crucial wickets, to earn a promotion to 'all-rounder'. He performed admirably in the home summer and also in the World Series Cricket tournament before producing one of his best knocks the following season in India. That was a fantastic century in the humid climes of Chennai in the famous tied Test. Thereafter, there was a slump in form that saw him being dropped midway during the 1987 Ashes series. Matthews never really got into skipper Allan Border's good books either

Although Matthews played a few ODIs in the coming years, his Test career remained stagnant till the recall in 1990-91. Despite producing a century in his comeback season, he got dropped soon and eventually retired in 1993. His peak years aside, Matthews clearly underachieved considering his potential as a cricketer. That's probably what frustrated his captain and selectors as well who had run out of patience at various points. After retirement, Matthews played on in First-class cricket before retiring in 1997. After his cricketing days, he became an active television commentator. During his playing days, Matthews was an extrovert who preferred being on his own and enjoying at his convenient times, even if it meant late into the night, opposing the team rules. At a young age, he had the option of being a rugby player but chose to stick with cricket.

By Hariprasad Sadanandan