Douglas Jardine had ‘friends’ in Australia!

Douglas Jardine had ‘friends’ in Australia!

Douglas Jardine will rank high among if one were to make a list of most-hated cricketers in the history of the game. He played just 22 Tests, out of which he captained in 15 Tests but he had done enough damage in one single tour to earn historical notoriety. As captain of England on the 1932-33 tour of Australia, the Bodyline tactics he strategized — primarily to counter the genius of Don Bradman — has been lampooned over the decades in cricket history.

The tactics against the Australian batsmen saw English bowlers pitch the ball short in line of the leg-stump and got the ball to rise awkwardly. Survival from body harm was the primary instinct of the Australian batsmen, who were hemmed in close on the leg-side by a number of fielders waiting to gobble up the catch from the batsmen taking evasive action. Jardine made no attempts to show his utter dislike for the Australians. With batsmen nearly getting killed on the field on account of Jardine’s tactics, the tour was almost called midway because of the mounting acrimony between the two teams.

Jardine not only alienated the Australians but his tactics did not meet the approval of some of his own team-mates.  Amid all the animosity one Australian cricket fan had a humorous dig at Jardine when he was padded up and swatting flies: “Don’t drive them away, Jardine! They are the only friends you have in Australia.”