A Brief History of Cricket Down Under: The 80's

Playing cricket in the 80s down-under was a tough assignment for visitors. The climate, hostile drunk crowds and unpredictable wickets were only a prelude to playing a ruthless Australian team with a bruising fast bowling attack and players who attempted to psychologically destroy their opposition.

The decade of the '80s certainly had its fair share of thrilling matches. The games ended with last gasp finishes and with results that no one could have expected.

Wait. What was that? After more than 100 years of international cricket you'd think we'd seen it all.

The 1980S saw the rise of the legendary fast bowler. Australia cruised into the decade fielding two lethal but aging pacemen, while the West Indies blasted onto the scene with a quartet of very cool and very fast, deadly bowling weapons.

It takes more than just skill with the bat or ball to capture the imagination of the cricketing public.

It was the original cricket revolution, flicking the switch to enormous change and the game hasn't been the same since.

You can't win a game of cricket without scoring a lot of runs, and there is a special breed of batsmen that did this better than anybody else.

In a game of millimetres, it pays to have a little something up your sleeve. Whether it's the key to reverse-swing, slow bowling, new bat technology and team culture - they're all crucial elements in a quality team's march to victory.

The 1980S swept in a new professional era for international cricket players. Bigger pay cheques and more power, together with some healthy egos an atmosphere of aggressive competition was created.

What makes a great leader? It's often a combination of vision and having the confidence to make it happen.

February 1, 1981, a thrilling One Day International match was being fought out between Australia and NZ at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.