Australia mourns death of test opener Stackpole
Former test opener Keith Stackpole, a key member of the Australia teams captained by Bill Lawry and Ian Chappell in the 1960s-70s, died of a suspected heart attack on Tuesday (April 22, 2025) at the age of 84.
Stackpole played 43 tests and scored seven centuries from 1966-1974, forming one of Australia's top opening combinations with Victoria teammate Lawry.
An aggressive shot-maker with a love for hooking fast bowlers, Stackpole topped the runs list during Australia's successful tour of India in 1969— the nation's last series win in the subcontinent until 2004.
He made a career-best 207 against England at the Gabba in 1970 and often proved a thorn in the side of Australia's Ashes rivals.
A handy leg-spin bowler, Stackpole played in the first-ever one-day international against England in 1971, taking 3-40 in the 40-over match to guide Australia to a five-wicket win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Named one of Wisden's 'Cricketers of the Year' in 1973, Stackpole became a successful broadcaster after retiring from the game in 1974.
His death triggered tributes from former players and broadcasters on Wednesday (April 23, 2025).
"Very sad news indeed. Stacky was a fantastic cricketer but more so a great bloke and one hell of a cricket coach," former Australia test bowler Merv Hughes wrote on X.
Cricket Australia Chairman Mike Baird said Stackpole would be sorely missed.
"Keith was one of the great contributors to the game of cricket and his legacy will live long into the future," Baird said in a statement.
"Not only was he an outstanding player for Australia and Victoria, his work in the media, radio and TV commentary and as a mentor to many players who followed in his footsteps demonstrated his enduring passion and influence in the game."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Australia's road to WTC Final: How Pat Cummins' side dominated in all conditions
Australia take on South Africa in the World Test Championship final in Lord's. The defending champions have once again underlined their red-ball supremacy by reaching the final of the ICC World Test Championship 2023–25 by Pat Cummins, the Australians have showcased remarkable consistency and adaptability across various conditions and against top-tier opposition. From the Ashes battle in England to a superb series against India at home, and clean sweeps in New Zealand and Sri Lanka, Australia have built a dominant path to the summit they prepare to take on South Africa at Lord's from June 11, here's a look at how they made it to the WTC vs England [2-2, Away] Australia established early dominance in the 2023 Ashes, securing a close win in Birmingham (by two wickets), before taking an exciting contest at Lord's (by 43 runs) to secure a 2-0 England struck back in the third Test with a three-wicket victory on the back of stunning performances from Ben Stokes in the first innings (80), Harry Brook in the second (75), and Mark Wood's magic with the ball throughout the Test (5/34, 2/66).Needing just a draw to retain the Ashes, Australia proceeded to do exactly that in the fourth Test, holding up against the hosts with some help from the weather, while England managed to fight back in the final game as well to make it Starc was chosen as Australia's Player of the Series with 23 wickets across the five vs Pakistan [3-0, Home]Australia then faced Pakistan in a three-match Test series at home in December hosts continued their dominance against Pakistan at home with a 3-0 series whitewash to make it 17 Test wins on the trot against the Asian side since secured wins by 360 runs in the first Test, 79 runs in the second Test, and by eight wickets in the third Pat Cummins was consistent across the three matches and was named the Player of the Series for his 19 in a significant development, one of Australia's opening stalwarts across formats, David Warner, called time on his red-ball career upon the conclusion of the final Test against Pakistan in vs West Indies [1-1, Home]Kraigg Brathwaite's West Indies were up next at home, and the Australian side had to settle for a share of the spoils as the series finished tied with one victory first Test in Adelaide saw Australia continue their unbeaten run at home with a comfortable win. Travis Head scored a brilliant 119 off 134 deliveries in the first innings, while Josh Hazlewood was in sizzling form with nine wickets across both innings as Australia secured a victory by 10 second Test, a day-night encounter in Brisbane, was a West Indies performance for the in just his second Test, pacer Shamar Joseph overcame a toe injury and put up the performance of a lifetime in the second innings, picking up 7/68 and halting Australia eight runs short of their the first time since the 1996/97 season, the Caribbean side had won a Test in was also Australia's first Test loss on home soil since India were the victors at the same venue in vs New Zealand [2-0, Away]Next, Australia went across the Tasman to take on neighbouring rivals New visitors secured a 2-0 series win against New Zealand, winning the first Test by a comfortable margin of 172 runs at Wellington courtesy of a Nathan Lyon 10-wicket Kiwis fought back in the second Test, and after conceding an advantage in the first innings, managed to set up a target of 279. Early strikes from Ben Sears and Matt Henry left Australia reduced to 80/5. However, resilient batting from Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, and Pat Cummins saw the tourists vs India [3-1, Home]Coming off a disastrous home series against New Zealand, India showed renewed vigour in Perth, winning the first Test by 295 runs. Stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah was their star, registering inspiring bowling figures of 8/ in the second Test in Adelaide, a pink-ball encounter, Pat Cummins' side came back strongly on the back of Travis Head's heroics in the first innings. He scored 140 off 141 deliveries. Meanwhile, Cummins and Starc shone as well, with seven and eight scalps dominated a rain-affected encounter in Brisbane—albeit a draw—but the downside was key pacer Josh Hazlewood picking up an injury and being ruled out for the remainder of the series with a calf Boxing Day Test in Melbourne was a Test cricket masterclass from Australia. While the hosts dominated the majority of the Test, they overcame India's resolve on the fifth day to take a win in the final hour of the game.A 3-1 series win would have ensured Australia's place in the top two of the WTC standings, thus confirming their spot in the final even before they had played their last Scott Boland, leading with a sensational seam-bowling performance, ensured just that for the hosts in Sydney. Despite a slender lead in the first innings, India lost their way following an injury to star pacer Bumrah, who finished with a staggering 32 wickets in the series at an average of career-best 10/76 ensured a modest target for the hosts in the second innings, and they overcame the ask of 162 against an injured Indian bowling lineup with six wickets to vs Sri Lanka [2-0, Away]After an exhausting outing against India at home, Australia started without key figures like Cummins and Hazlewood for the Sri Lanka Smith took the reins in the island nation as Australia secured another series whitewash away from home, their first series triumph in Sri Lanka since 2011. Smith led from the front, winning the Player of the Series award for scoring tons in both Tests and accruing 272 runs in the into the final, opener Usman Khawaja has been Australia's highest run-scorer in the 2023–25 WTC cycle, scoring 1422 runs across 19 Tests at an average of highest wicket-taker in this cycle has been skipper Pat Cummins, who has led from the front with a rip-roaring 73 wickets across 17 reigning champions are now all set to face South Africa in the Ultimate Test starting June 11 at Lord's with a chance to retain their title and continue their dominance as the No. 1 Test team in the world.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
WTC Final Preview: South Africa look to end ICC trophy curse but Australia stand in their way
South Africa face Australia in WTC final at Lord's, another chance at winning an ICC trophy, which is coming after 25 years following the Birmingham heartbreak against the same side. Can the Proteas finally end their ICC trophy drought? read more June 17, 1999, Birmingham. World Cup semi-final. One run needed off four balls. Lance Klusener, batting like a dream, has Australia at his mercy, and has reduced them to prayers. This South African team, if they get over the line, will be remembered forever. Winning seems the easier gig too. But South Africa fluff their lines, floundering and quite literally, falling short, with Allan Donald and Klusener resembling cats on a hot tin roof. And that one run, which could be sensed, felt and perhaps even be touched, floats away into the English horizon. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD South Africa face a familiar foe at Lord's South Africa , at the cost of a cliché, are perhaps still rummaging for it. They have availed the services of countless world-class players in that pursuit, but it remains elusive, and the Proteas, since that dreaded day in Birmingham, have NOT won an ICC trophy. Over the next few days, that could change. Those wounds will not heal completely, although South Africa, by virtue of having yet another tilt at the big prize, can strap bandages over it and replace that stinging feeling with something more soothing. But as fate would have it, their road to redemption is blocked by…Australia. The defending champions may have lost the odd game at home and may have looked a little vulnerable on their most-recent Ashes adventure. But there is no denying their quality or pedigree of winning the moments that matter. Prior to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the turn of the year, Australia knew they needed a string of wins to confirm their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Despite losing at Perth to India, which led to all sorts of questions and criticisms, they ultimately did it at a canter - beating India 3-1 and then blanking Sri Lanka 2-0, away from home. Their bowlers have been the bedrock of their surge to the final. Captain Pat Cummins has 73 wickets (the second-most this cycle, only behind Jasprit Bumrah), with Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon bagging 72 and 66, respectively. Josh Hazlewood has featured less prominently due to injuries, but remains an out-and-out match-winner across formats. The batting department's numbers may not be as eye-catching, but Steve Smith, Travis Head and Usman Khawaja have more than 1100 runs each, with Alex Carey and Marnus Labuschagne also scoring more than 900 runs this cycle. They will, however, be put to the sword by South Africa and Kagiso Rabada. Rabada has not played as many Tests as his Australian counterparts in this period, but averages less than 20, having picked up 47 wickets across ten matches, at a strike rate a shade under 38. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD His match-up against Head and Smith, in particular, could be pivotal, given how successful the pair was in the 2023 WTC final. Rabada has a decent record against them too, with Smith averaging 32, having been dismissed four times. Head, meanwhile, strikes at more than 100 against Rabada, but only averages 28, having been dismissed twice. So, if Rabada can get rid of them cheaply, or exert enough pressure for the others to benefit, South Africa will fancy their chances. Especially if Marco Jansen, an exceptional new-ball bowler, can find assistance and Keshav Maharaj can extract turn later in the game. Not to mention that Rabada, after his recent one-month suspension, will also feel he has a point to prove. For that, the Proteas will have to put up runs on the board. Their batters are inexperienced but have shown, in a variety of testing conditions, that they can get the job done. Aiden Markram, David Bedingham, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder and skipper Temba Bavuma have all scored centuries this cycle, with Bavuma, Rickelton and Mulder averaging in excess of 50. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD They will have their work cut out against Australia's pace troika and Lyon. But if any of them was looking for validation from the cricketing fraternity, well, this is it. Their opportunity to tell the world they can stand up on the biggest of stages, and that they can shed a reputation the Proteas have notoriously become synonymous with. And so, two and a half decades since being chastened in Birmingham, South Africa will have their shot at salvation. Their chance to exorcize past ghosts and to definitively make it right. At arguably the most iconic venue in the sport, just a hundred miles away from the bone-chilling heartbreak of 1999, but potentially a lifetime and a world apart on the spectrum of emotions. Can South Africa rewrite the script of 1999? South Africa have been here before, and they know better than anyone else that nothing, at this stage, can be taken for granted. But after all the teasing and trembling of yore, especially in front of final frontiers, they will also recognize the need and the necessity for a steely display. All while Australia prance and prowl in their preferred habitat. Therein lies the intrigue of this contest too. The beauty is not in knowing these are two top-drawer teams, but in acknowledging and realizing the baggage one carries, and the aura the other boasts – both of which have, on occasions, come at each other's expense. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And in this year/season of barren streaks being snapped and of trophy thirsts being quenched, it feels poetic that South Africa, of all possible permutations and combinations, are back in the country where this sequence - of coming close but not ending up with the cigar - began. Face to face with the foe that foiled them more than 25 years ago. History, of course, cannot be tweaked. Nor can it be altered. But this could be a watershed moment in itself. For the present and the future. A game that could define a generation of South African cricketers, and immortalize them. A match that could, considering where it is, and given who it is against, inject so much belief into Protean veins that they will feel they have the world at their feet, all over again. That was what that afternoon in Birmingham was meant and supposed to be. And that, South Africa will hope, is what these next few days in London are. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- The Hindu
‘Flawed' Test Championship reveals world cricket's underlying problems
Reigning champions Australia face South Africa in the World Test Championship final at Lord's starting Wednesday amid a chorus of criticism over the competition's format. Wisden, cricket's 'bible', was scathing in its assessment, with editor Lawrence Booth writing in this year's edition that the WTC is a "shambles masquerading as a showpiece". Meanwhile, former England captain Michael Atherton said "everyone knows the WTC in its present guise is flawed". One fundamental problem is that political tensions mean India and Pakistan, two of cricket's leading nations, have not played a Test against each other since 2007. The nine-nation WTC is further skewed because the teams are not being required to face each other or to play the same number of matches, unlike most sports leagues. Countries are free to decide how many Tests they would like to play in the two-year qualifying cycle -- something Booth wants doubled to four years, with the top nine in the rankings all playing each other, home and away, over series that last at least three Tests. Positions are calculated on the percentage of available points won by teams. South Africa have played just 12 Tests in the current cycle -- all of them two-match series -- compared to England's 22 -- and have not played either England or Australia. South Africa also sent a third-string side to New Zealand in early 2024, and lost. It kept its best players at home to appear in its domestic T20 competition. That was a financial sign of the times, as is Cricket South Africa not scheduling any home Tests for 2025/26. 'South Africa didn't beat nobodies' South Africa reeled off six straight wins to book their place in this year's final, only for former England captain Michael Vaughan to say they had got there "on the back of beating pretty much nobody". But Proteas coach Shukri Conrad objected that South Africa had beaten teams who had beaten the 'Big Three' of India, Australia and England. "One of the nobodies we beat won a Test match in Australia -- West Indies beat Australia in a Test match. They are not nobody," insisted Conrad. "New Zealand beat India: three-zip in India. New Zealand is not a nobody. "Sri Lanka won Test matches (against England and New Zealand).I don't buy this thing about us beating nobody." Victory in the final would be a boost to South Africa following years of hurt in ICC white-ball tournaments, with Conrad saying after qualification was secured. "I'm never going to apologise for getting into the final. "It's the biggest thing in this team's existence. It's the biggest thing for South African cricket at the moment." One of those involved in devising the points system, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP: "It's difficult to come up with a solution where everyone is happy given the barriers to an 'orthodox' table that exist, such as the India-Pakistan situation. "Commercial considerations will also mean the 'Big Three' will want to play each other in five-Test series." He added this was just as much a choice as England incurring the over-rate penalties that hampered their chances -- they've yet to reach a WTC final despite the first three editions all taking place on home soil -- with skipper Ben Stokes almost disdainful in his assessment of an "utterly confusing" format. Yet, New Zealand's win in the inaugural 2021 World Test Championship final was welcomed as a long overdue global triumph for a popular side. Australia's failure to qualify for that match was labelled a "big missed opportunity" by skipper Pat Cummins, who made amends with victory at in an Oval final two years ago. Tthat India were beaten finalists in both the 2021 and 2023 WTC finals indicated there was still a place for the five-day game in world cricket's economic powerhouse, for all T20 events such as the Indian Premier League are the financial driving force. Indeed former India captain and batting star Virat Kohli, speaking after securing his long-awaited first IPL title following Royal Challengers Bengaluru's triumph in last Tuesday's final, said: "If you want to earn respect in world cricket all over, take up Test cricket and give your heart and soul to it." But the awkward question for cricket chiefs is whether the WTC is helping or hindering that aim.
