Biography of Ian Chappell:- Ian Chappell is a former International cricketer who played for Australia from 1964-1980. Chappell remained Australia’s test and ODI captain between 1971 and 1975.
He was born on 26 September 1943 in South Australia. Ian was a right-handed batsman and often played as an opening batsman for his team. Ian Chappell came from the breed of cricketers, his grandfather was Australia’s former captain, his brother played alongside him in test cricket, Ian Chappell was the father of newly styled Aussie cricket team, no one match his grace while playing the game.
He was furious and polite to the bowler and ball respectively. Anything short to Ian Chappell definitely resulted in a boundary or at least a couple of runs in the end.
Biography of Ian Chappell
- Born :- 26 September 1943 (age 73), Unley, Australia
- Height:- 1.8 m
- Spouse:- Barbara-Ann Chappell (m. 1982), Kay Chappell (m. 1966–1980)
- Children:- Amanda Chappell
- Siblings:- : Greg Chappell, Trevor Chappell
Ian Chappell, after becoming the test captain had the privilege to become the third person to become Australian Test captain from his family. The South Australian star had a short tempered, and he is still considered the culprit behind the term “sledging” in International cricket.
See Also: Biography of Mark Taylor
Chappell introduced many things to cricket in his career, his grandpa was probably hitting it out of the park at the moment when he was born, and belonging to a cricketing family, Ian Chappell was the enthusiast of the game from the very beginning. His short temperateness involved him into several verbal confrontations and brawls with the opponents.
After the retirement, Ian joined Channel 9 commentary box and worked as an analyst and senior advisor to Cricket Australia on selection matters. Ian is considered one of the most experienced sports journalists and a brilliant commentator.
He was also inducted into ICC Hall of Fame in 2009, before that, Ian Chappell was named Australia’s Hall of Fame in 1986 and FICA Hall of Fame in the year 2000.
Ian Chappell Stats and Records
Ian Michael Chappell appeared in 75 test games as test cricket was the only and traditional format when he used to play the game. He scored 5345 runs at an average 42.42 with the help of 14 centuries and 26 half-centuries.
His highest figures were 196 in batting and 2/21 in bowling. He also contributed 20 wickets to his all-round skills with 105 catches. In only 16 ODIs, Chappell managed to compete; his overall score was 673 at a dazzling batting average of 48 and only 8 fifties.
His top score was 86 overall with no centuries in limited-over’s cricket. In 262 first-class matches, Ian Chappell was unmatched in his batting skill, he scored 19,680 runs with the consistent batting average of 48.35 including 59 centuries and 96 fifties and the highest score of 209.
His bowling stats were quite good as he had taken 176 wickets at a bowling average of 37.57 including the two 5-wicket hauls at the end of his first-class career.
His best bowling figures were 5/29 and 312 catches overall. He played first-class cricket for 18 years, the first time he was only 18 when he appeared in a first-class match for his hometown South Australia.
International Career
Ian Chappell started his International career in 1964 against Pakistan in a home series. As a brilliant fielder at slip and cover, Ian Chappell was able to take four catches in his debut with 11 scores while batting. His spin bowling supported his stay in the team, also his fielding skills.
He was a middle-order batsman in the early part of his career. He was sent back to domestic cricket until 1966 season against South Africa that was again turned out as another disappointing comeback.
In the1967-68 season, Chappell has selected again for the series against India and scored his first hundred in the process. Against England, it was even more promising start that Chappell gave to his team in the entire series.
In 1968-69, Chappell was declared Australian Cricketer of the Year for his astonishing batting against West Indies, the strongest side at that time.
He scored 5 tons in the season that included three of them above 150 runs. In 1969, Chappell was the only Australian batsman to cope the spin attack on sub-continental pitches.
After three excellent seasons in International and domestic cricket, Chappell was offered captaincy in 1970 by Cricket Australia that was accepted wholeheartedly.
In the meantime, his younger brother Greg Chappell debuted and played under Ian’s captaincy, both played and partnered well in the test series against England. It was the same season when Ian Chappell scored his first Ashes century in the fifth test.
The next couple of series against Pakistan and West Indies were the immediate success of Australia handing him the captaincy. He stunned the opposition at times by winning the tough matches by his aggressiveness in the field.
In 1974 series against New Zealand, Chappell was involved in verbal confrontations with the Kiwi batsmen, thus for the first time introducing the termed sledging and told his teammates never to be ashamed of it.
In the same 1974-75 season, Australia reclaimed the Ashes trophy with a one-sided 4-1 victory against the English opposition. Chappell was himself the best batsman of the series.
After the finalmatch defeat against West Indies in the inaugural World Cup, West Indies were beaten severely by the Aussies as Australia beat those 5-1 in the series after World Cup 1975. In the same period, he became the first cricketer to take 100 International catches in his career.
Post-retirement Career
ABC Channel in 2002 released a documentary named “The Chappell’s Era “covering the biography of Ian Chappell and his contribution to Cricket Australia and the game.
The Chappell-Hadley trophy and series between New Zealand and Australia was inducted in honor of the legend and his services to the game. The Chappell Family is also awarded as the most famous Cricketing family in South Australia.
After the retirement, Ian remained associated with the cricket commenting cricket matches worldwide on radio and television.
He was a columnist since 1970s and wrote for The Age Sports Magazine for 10 years. He also worked for BBC Sports and Channel 9, hosted a weekly sports show named Sports Sunday.
Ian Chappell Family and Personal Life
Ian’s maternal grandfather Vic Richardson was a legendary all-rounder and test captain of Australia. Chappell’s father Martin Chappell was also a cricketer who played for Adelaide, his father gave him a cricket bat as soon as he was able to pick it.
When Chappell was five, he was inducted into a local training club along with his brothers Greg Chappell and Trevor Chappell.
Ian Chappell appeared on his debut first-class match when he was 18. In 1963 season just before he was selected to play for the Australian team, Ian Chappell participated in Lancashire League and played his first ever FC match there.
Ian Chappell and his first wife Kay Chappell got divorced 14 years after their marriage from 1966-1980 both had a daughter together named Amanda Chappell who lives with Ian Chappell and Barbara-Ann Chappell in Sydney.
Ian Chappell married Barbara-Ann Chappell two years after his retirement from International cricket and divorce from the first wife.
