‘REDDERS’ JOINS THE GREATS OF CRICKET
IAN Redpath will be admitted to Australian cricket’s Hall of Fame on Monday and the applause will rumble all the way to Adelaide, where his greatest big-name admirer feels justice has been done.
“That’s wonderful news,’’ Test great Greg Chappell said of the honour to the lion-hearted Victorian batsman who played 66 Tests from 1964-76, scoring 4737 runs at 43.5.
“I’m very impressed the judges would look back 60 years and decide, ‘This bloke was a bloody good player’.
“He was such an underrated player. He got runs when they were needed and hardest to come by. Just a great team man. You wanted him in the team and you wanted him to succeed.
“Not even the selectors realised how good he was.
“I always said nobody hated a loss or enjoyed a win more than ‘Redders’. He never looked for the glory.’’
Chappell’s affection for Redpath stretches back to Chappell’s iconic Test debut against England in Perth in 1970-71 when Chappell made a century after, he believes, Redpath deliberately shielded him early from the rampaging John Snow.
The modest Redpath has never confirmed this and again today shrugged off the praise.
“No (I didn’t protect him). It was just that he wouldn’t back up when I wanted a run!’’ Redpath, 81, quipped.
“That innings by Greg was fantastic. It was a delight to play with the Chappells. Playing with that mid-70s side was fantastic. Marsh, Lillee, the Chappells. They were a team of desperates. We won a lot of close games because of that team attitude.’’
Chappell has always said Redpath and Rod Marsh were the two cricketers he played with who would kill for the baggy green cap and this attitude is evident by the fact Redpath still agonises over a sweep shot he played 55 years ago.
“I still lose sleep over some of the stupid things I did. I was 92 at Leeds and I was not a sweeper and tried to sweep Ray Illingworth (and got bowled). I should never have played it.
“I think about those things. I’m a bit strange but that is the beauty of team games.’’
Library files of Redpath’s batting are filled with terms like iron-willed, stoic and obstinate. All were true.
“I don’t know whether I was tough but I always thought it was a fairly serious business playing for Australia in a Test. I started off playing with Bobby Simpson and Bill Lawry who played as if their lives depended on it.’’
Redpath valued his wicket as if it was one of the treasured antiques he bought and sold in a business he had in Geelong for several decades, which started after he brought a box of them home from England.
“I always looked forward to going to work. I became like my customers who got their money’s worth just by looking at antiques, touching and admiring them. Selling to people who loved them was very enjoyable.’’
Redpath was the last Australian cricketer to play as amateur, initially refusing pay so he could continue to play amateur football in Victoria.
The normally mild-mannered star found himself on the other side of a money issue when he had a fiery exchange with Australian Cricket Board administrator Alan Barnes in 1975, when Barnes said there were “50,000 Australians who would play for nothing if the Australians didn’t like their pay deal”.’
Redpath averaged 36 in his first 33 Tests and 50 in his last 33 “because I was more aggressive early days and did some stupid things. I would run down the wicket and Keith Stackpole would say, ‘I can see you are going to get out, you idiot’. I learnt patience.’
He was once Mankaded in a Test by West Indies fast bowler Charlie Griffith, a dismissal that is suddenly back in the headlines.
“I think batsmen should be warned because of the potential for explosions. Then if they don’t learn that’s fair enough. After it happened to me Wes Hall did it to me and said, ‘ You are a slow learner man’ as he held the ball beside the stumps.’’
Redpath was taken aback by his Hall of Fame honour. “I thought they were pulling my leg,” he said. “It’s a real honour. Am I worthy of it? I’m not sure … but I will take it.’’
Nobody hated a loss or enjoyed a win more...
Greg Chappell