Cricket equipment � champions � Adam Gilchrist

Championship wicket keeper Adam Gilchrist keeps his head down and his cricket equipment ready to rumble

The Australian dynamo

Adam Gilchrist was born at Bellinton , New South Wales , Australia on 14 November 1971. A Wicket keeper and an aggressive left handed batsman, he has played for New South Wales and Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield. Gilchrist made his international debut in the Titan Cup one-day match between Australia and South Africa in 1996-7 at Faridabad and his test debut against Pakistan at Brisbane in 1999-2000. The championship player was nominated Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2002 and is still wielding his cricket equipment today.

Ashes 2006

Another shatteringly vengeful day for Australia in the 2006 Ashes series reached its zenith when Adam Gilchrist, out of form for 18 months, flogged the England bowling to all parts of the WACA to record the second fastest century in the history of Test cricket. A championship performance, he used his cricket equipment to deliver the stroke with which he reached three figures. It was played off the 57th delivery he had received, one more than Viv Richards took against England at Antigua in 1985-86.

Captaincy

In the absence of Ricky Ponting, the Australian skipper, Gilchrist led Australia to a series win in India after 39 years. However the champion was happy to relinquish the captaincy burden to Ponting in the Mumbai test, preferring to use his cricket equipment as a player rather than a leader. He is one international sportsman who knows his limitations and believes in playing to the best of his ability.

Too much pressure

Gilchrist correctly predicted that Freddie Flintoff would have a hard time on his hands by captaining England in the 2006 Ashes. The phenomenal wicketkeeper wasn't questioning Flintoff's ability, but recalled his personal experience of trying to lead a side in a major series while also maintaining the high standards in his other two disciplines. He admitted that the experience left him drained and predicted that champion Flintoff would face when he led England and their cricket equipment into the five-Test Ashes series.

A controversial figure

Gilchrist has not shied from controversy in his international career, igniting the 'walking debate' by walking (declaring that he is out and leaving the field without waiting for a decision from the umpire or in direct contradiction of an umpire's decision) during the 2003 World Cup semi-final. He walked again during the Test series against India and has since proclaimed himself to be a 'walker'. Gilchrist's actions sparked vigorous debate amongst current and former players and umpires. Throwing down his cricket equipment may not seem the action of a champion, but Gilchrist has his supporters and he's considered by many to be an old-fashioned sportsman upholding old-fashioned values.

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