The Gilchrist Effect

There are very few players who have genuinely changed cricket; a handful at best over the last fifty years. Adam Gilchrist is one of these rare cricketers, someone who has changed cricket forever. Gilchrist is the best wicket-keeper batsman there has ever been. He is not just a wicket keeper who can bat a bit. At his best Gilchrist is one of the most destructive batsmen of all time, his ability to hit a good ball out of the ground is the stuff of nightmares for the world’s bowlers. Conversely, he is not just an exceptional batsman who can keep-wicket; he holds the current test record for most wicket-keeping dismissals.

Gilchrist has taken a role that was considered something that would be nice to have, a wicket keeper who could make useful runs, and converted it into “a world class batsman who is also a world class wicket-keeper”. He has redefined the role and in the process forced all wicket-keepers to work much harder at their batting. As it stands if a wicket-keeper cannot average forty with the bat then his place is in jeopardy and he may fall victim to the Gilchrist Effect. The England Test side is a perfect example of this, they have been choosing mediocre wicket-keepers for years hoping their batting skills will compensate. They don’t of course.

Adam Gilchrist will play his last day of test cricket tomorrow at Adelaide. He will be applauded on the ground and hopefully cheered off it. He is one of the greats and will be sadly missed.