Sad to hear of the death of Dean Jones at the age of only 59.
I wasn’t into cricket seriously until I spent three months travelling in Australia in my late teens. In Australia, depending on where you stay, your ethnic background etc, you might be into Aussie Rules, rugby league, rugby union, soccer. Come the summer (our winter) it was all about the cricket. It didnt have the connotations or associations it has in Scotland, it is simply universal.
During the time I was there, all the TV and radio news, and the printed press could talk about was whether Dean Jones would be recalled to the national side. This was obviously pre-internet days but I was familiar with how football dominated the Scottish media. Australian cricket coverage was even more ramped up than that. I got really drawn to the saga about whether he would be recalled
Anyway, I got to see him live. He seemed to be a bit of a character but had a top-class batting average and I think was in two Ashes wins and a World Cup win. The first time I saw him play was on his much-debated recall in a ODI against NZ at the MCG where he rattled off an 82 in a comfortable Aussie win. It was some team - Allan Border was still skipper but the likes of Matthew Hayden and Shane Warne were breaking in, and then you had the Waughs in the middle order and McDermott and Hughes leading the pace attack.
Dean Jones - fine, fine cricketer.
