Dream team together again
Adam Gilchrist is excited to be working with former teammate Shane Warne at Fox Cricket, writes Terry Mallinder
THEY were the greatest spin bowling– wicket-keeping combination in world cricket.
And now former Australian superstars Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist are finally reunited, spearheading the Fox Cricket team during its bumper inaugural summer.
“One of the highlights of my cricketing career was to keep to Shane Warne,” says Gilchrist, who combined to take a record 59 Test wickets with the legendary leggie. “It was an intriguing position to have ... to sit there behind the stumps and work with him.
“But, to be back alongside him and knowing the way he thinks about the game ... he’s very astute, he picks up on things that may not be as obvious to others.
“Tactically, he’s fantastic. He was like that on the field with is bowling.
“And, understatement of the year ... he’s a pretty big character. He catches people’s attention.”
Seasoned media performers since retirement, Warne and Gilchrist had been part of the commentary teams at Channel 9 and Channel 10, respectively, before the biggest shake-up of cricket broadcasting in Australia.
Cricket and Channel 9 had once gone hand in hand before television rights were awarded to Fox and Seven.
“It’s definitely a new era ... for the first time in 40 years Channel 9 aren’t involved,” Gilchrist says. “And that’s a testament to how well they’ve done over that time, what they delivered.
“But, for us to have a dedicated 24/7 cricket channel is unprecedented in this country. League and AFL have had it with great success.”
Gilchrist recalled touring cricket-mad India two decades ago and switching on the TV in his hotel room.
“They had a few dedicated cricket channels over there. I always thought ‘wow, that’s extraordinary... imagine even having one’. Now we’ve got it.
“Hopefully we cover all bases, from the serious analysis to the light and entertaining and everything in between.”
Like so many, Gilchrist grew up listening to Channel 9 stalwarts Bill Lawry, Tony Greig and Richie Benaud in his living room. “They’re iconic voices,” Gilchrist says. Gilchrist first met the late great Benaud during an under-19 tour to England in 1991.
“Every time I had ever spoken to him since, nothing changed. He was exactly as he presented on TV. That says he was just his natural self on camera, and that’s what people loved — that genuineness.”
While not about to dress in a beige suit, Gilchrist is a popular presenter who, among his commentating commitments during the season — the T20 (from November 21) and Test series (from December 6) against India and the domestic Big Bash League (from December 1) — will also co-host The Big Break with former English women’s player Isa Guha.