Whenever the phrase “tearaway fast bowler” is used, the first image that comes to mind is that of a long-haired Dennis Lillee bowling flat out. Besides being a purveyor of terrifying pace, he was one of the most colourful, controversial but also successful cricketers of his time. It is difficult to imagine that this athletic, energetic and larger-than-life player has turned 75 today.
In the 1970s, Lillee and his new ball partner Jeff Thomson formed one of the deadliest fast bowling pairs ever. While Thomson ended his career with 200 Test wickets, Lillee, who held the world record for some time, eventually finished with a tally of 355 victims.
Clumsy child
Dennis Lillee came into this world on July 18, 1949. He was the eldest son of Keith Lillee and his wife Shirley. In his autobiography, Lillee has written that when he was a child, he was not at all athletic. He was clumsy and even had trouble walking. He often fell flat on his face and hurt himself.
So a doctor gave him braces which helped him to walk upright and keep himself steady. At that point, nobody could have imagined that the little boy would grow up to become the world’s best fast bowler. It was his maternal grandfather Len Halifax who encouraged him to take part in sports and become fit.
As he grew up, he became tall and acquired athletic abilities that helped him to bowl very fast. After a series of good performances in domestic matches, he was selected for the Australian Test team for the Ashes series of 1970-71. He made his debut in the sixth Test at Adelaide and took five wickets in England’s first innings. It was a great beginning to his career.
Career threatening injury
But within one year he suffered a stress fracture in his spine due to his violent action with which he released the ball. The braces that he had hated wearing when he was a child, returned to his life. This time he had to wear them on his lower back.
But the way he tackled his difficulties, modified his action, and introduced variety into his bowling are a testimony to his determination to rise to the top of world cricket. Former Australian captain Greg Chappell has stated that Lillee’s fierce determination was the trait that was the most dominant in his mental makeup.
Controversies
But Lillee also seemed to attract controversies like a flame attracts moths. His impulsive nature led to trouble on many occasions. During a match against Pakistan in Perth, Lillee and Javed Miandad almost got into a fight on the field. What happened was that Miandad played a ball from Lillee and then ran a single. As he reached the bowler’s end, he collided with Lillee who had deliberately stepped in front of Miandad.
After the collision, Lillee made things worse by kicking Miandad on the pads. The furious batsman lifted his bat and was about to slam it down on Lillee’s head but was stopped by the umpire. The fast bowler’s act was widely condemned even by Australians and he was compelled to pay a fine. He explained that Miandad had provoked him by prodding him with the bat during the collision.
In 1979, Lillee decided to use a bat made of aluminum instead of wood. After a few hits the ball was damaged by the bat so Lillee was forbidden from using it. Needless to say, a temper tantrum followed. On another occasion, Lillee provoked Sunil Gavaskar so much that when the umpire gave an LBW decision against the batsman, Gavaskar almost forfeited the match.
Another controversy arose when Lillee while playing against England, placed a bet on England’s victory. England won the match and Lillee collected 5000 pounds. Surprisingly he got away lightly for that misdeed, perhaps because it was discovered much later. Had it happened now, he would have been banned for life.
Lillee’s cricket career was extremely complex. He was tempestuous and unpredictable but a genius with the ball. He could baffle rival batsmen with his pace and subtle swing movement but he could also be a bugbear to everyone, even to his teammates. However, some exceptionally gifted persons are born with such contradictory qualities. Here’s wishing him a calm and happy 75th birthday.
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