Australian Test opener Stackpole "a giant" of cricket
Keith Stackpole is being lauded as a dynamic cricket giant as Australia reacts with sadness at the Test batsman's death, aged 84.
Stackpole's hard-hitting was a key factor in the aggressive tone set under Ian Chappell's captaincy in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The 43-Test veteran, a stalwart of Victoria's cricket scene, was also renowned as a commentator post-playing.
Stackpole was a dashing opening bat, a stark contrast in an era of turtle-paced openers Bill Lawry, Geoff Boycott and Sunil Gavaskar and his long-term partner Ian Redpath.
"It is testament to his talent and standing that he was one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1973 and was awarded the MBE in 1974 for services to cricket," Cricket Australia chairman Mike Baird said in a statement on Wednesday.
Born in 1940 in Collingwood in inner Melbourne, Stackpole made his debut for Victoria in 1959-60. He played 137 first-class matches, scoring 22 tons and averaging 39.22.
Stackpole's 43 Tests between 1966 and 1974 returned 2807 runs at 37.42, including seven centuries.
He also played six one-day internationals in the format's early era.
Stackpole's career-high came in the 1970/71 Ashes series when he scored a remarkable 207 on a bouncy deck at the Gabba - an innings regarded among the finest of its era.
Stackpole was also Australia's top run-scorer in the 1972 Ashes series and was a handy leg-spinner, taking 15 Test wickets and 148 in first-class ranks.
"Keith was a giant of the game - a brilliant cricketer, a passionate Victorian, and a proud Australian," Victoria Cricket chair Ross Hepburn said in a statement.
"His courage at the crease and his deep understanding of the game made him one of the most respected figures of his time.""Keith was a true statesman of Victorian cricket. He played the game with great spirit and remained a devoted ambassador for cricket long after his playing days."
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