Australian legend Alan Davidson passes away at 92
Australian legend Alan Davidson passed away at the age of 92 on Saturday. The bowling all-rounder represented Australia in 44 international games. He picked up 186 international wickets at an incredible average of 20.53. The left-arm pacer played a key role in the 1960 tied Test. Davidson was also inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2011. Here are further details.
"Alan Davidson's passing is a sad moment for Australian cricket and for cricket across the world," Richard Freudenstein, Cricket Australia chair said. "Alan was a colossal figure in our game, not only as one of the finest players to have represented Australia and NSW, but for the positive influence he exerted across the game as an administrator, mentor and benefactor."
In a Test career that spanned a decade (1953 to 1963), Davidson snapped up 186 wickets. His average of 20.53 is the second-lowest for any bowler with more than 150 Test wickets, after SF Barnes (16.43). Davidson was also a handy batter. He racked up 1,328 runs in Test cricket and registered five fifties. Davidson recorded 9 First-class hundreds.
Davidson was a part of the tied Test between West Indies and Australia in 1960. He scored 44, 80* and took 11 wickets in the match. Davidson became the first player to achieve the double of 100 runs and 10 wickets in the same Test. Only Ian Botham, Imran Khan, and Shakib Alan Hasan have achieved this feat ever since.
Davidson recorded the sixth-fewest ducks in Test cricket (61) and fifth-fewest across formats. Moreover, the former Australian all-rounder has the eighth-best figures in a Test match when on the losing side (12/124).
After his retirement, Davidson served as the president of Cricket New South Wales for 33 years. He was also Australia's selector between 1979 and 1984. Davidson was a member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and the ICC Hall of Fame. He became a member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1964 and the Order of Australia (AM) in 1987.
