Adam Gilchrist

Adam Craig Gilchrist (born 14 November 1971) is an Australian cricket commentator and former international cricketer and captain of the Australia national cricket team.

He was an attacking left-handed batsman and record-breaking wicket-keeper, who redefined the role for the Australia national team through his aggressive batting.

Adam Gilchrist was born in 1971 at Bellingen Hospital, in Bellingen, New South Wales, the youngest of four children.

He and his family lived in Dorrigo, Junee and then Deniliquin where, playing for his school, Deniliquin South Public School, he won the Brian Taber Shield (named after New South Wales cricketer Brian Taber).

When Adam was 13, his parents, Stan and June, moved the family to Lismore where he captained the Kadina High School cricket team.

Gilchrist was selected for the state under-17 team, and in 1989 he was offered a scholarship by London-based Richmond Cricket Club, a scheme he now supports himself.

During his year at Richmond, he also played junior cricket for Old Actonians Cricket Club's under-17 team, with whom he won the Middlesex League and Cup double.

He moved to Sydney and joined the Gordon District Cricket Club in Sydney Grade Cricket, later moving to Northern Districts.

Gilchrist is married to his high school sweetheart Melinda ( Sharpe), a dietitian, and they have three sons and a daughter.

In 1991, Gilchrist was selected for the Australia Young Cricketers, a national youth team that toured England and played in youth ODIs and Tests.

Gilchrist scored a century and a fifty in the three Tests.

Upon his return to Australia late in the year, Gilchrist was accepted into the Australian Cricket Academy.

Over the next year, Gilchrist represented the ACA as they played matches against the Second XI of Australia's state teams, and toured South Africa to play provincial youth teams.

He made his first-class debut in 1992, his first One-Day International appearance in 1996 in India and his Test debut in 1999.

During his career, he played for Australia in 96 Test matches and over 270 One-day internationals.

He was Australia's regular vice-captain in both forms of the game, captaining the team when regular captains Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting were unavailable.

Upon returning to Australia, Gilchrist scored two centuries in four matches for the state Colts and Second XI teams, and was rewarded with selection to make his first-class debut for New South Wales during the 1992–93 season, although he played purely as a batsman, due to the presence of incumbent wicketkeeper Phil Emery.

In his first season, the side won the Sheffield Shield, Gilchrist scoring an unbeaten 20 in the second innings to secure an easy win over Queensland in the final.

Gilchrist made 274 runs at an average of 30.44 in his debut season, a score of 75 being his only effort beyond fifty.

He also made his debut in Mercantile Mutual limited overs competition.

He struggled to keep his place in the side, playing only three first-class matches in the following season.

He scored on 43 runs at 8.60; New South Wales won both competitions, but Gilchrist was overlooked for both finals and did not play a single limited overs match.

Due to a lack of opportunities in the dominant New South Wales outfit, Gilchrist joined Western Australia at the start of the 1994–95, where he had to compete with former Test player Tim Zoehrer for the wicket-keeper's berth.

Gilchrist had no guarantee of selection.

However, he made a century in a pre-season trial match and seized Zoehrer's place.

The local fans were initially hostile to the move, but Gilchrist won them over.

He made 55 first-class dismissals in his first season, the most by any wicketkeeper in Australian domestic cricket in 1994–95.

However, he struggled with the bat, scoring 398 runs at 26.53 with seven single figure scores, although he recorded his maiden first-class century in the latter stages of the season, with 126 against South Australia.

Gilchrist was rewarded with selection in the Young Australia team that toured England in 1995 and played matches against the English counties.

Gilchrist was a member of the Australian team that won three consecutive world titles in a row: the 1999 Cricket World Cup, the 2003 Cricket World Cup, and the 2007 Cricket World Cup, along with winning the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy.

He holds the unique record of scoring at least 50 runs in successive World Cup finals (in 1999, 2003 and 2007).

His strike rate is amongst the highest in the history of both ODI and Test cricket; his 57 ball century against England at Perth in December 2006 is the fourth-fastest century in all Test cricket.

He was the first player to have hit 100 sixes in Test cricket.

His 17 Test centuries and 16 in ODIs are both second only to Sangakkara by a wicket-keeper.

His 149 off 101 balls against Sri Lanka in the 2007 World Cup final is rated one of the greatest World Cup innings of all time.

He is one of only three players to have won three World Cup titles.

Gilchrist was renowned for walking when he considered himself to be out, sometimes contrary to the decision of the umpire.

His family came under the spotlight in the months leading up to the 2007 Cricket World Cup as one impending birth threatened his presence in the squad; the child was born in February and Gilchrist was able to take part in the tournament.

He retired from international cricket in March 2008, though he continued to play domestic tournaments until 2013.

Widely regarded as the greatest wicket-keeper-batsman in the history of the game, Gilchrist held the world record for the most dismissals by a wicket-keeper in One Day International (ODI) cricket until it was surpassed by Kumar Sangakkara in 2015 and the most by an Australian in Test cricket.