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Dean Jones (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Dean Mervyn Jones AM
(born 24 March 1961) is a retired Australian cricket
er, and is presently a coach. He also worked as a media commentator.
in the Sheffield Shield. He made his Test
debut for Australia
in the West Indies in 1984. He was not picked in the original XI, but was drafted into the side after Steve Smith fell ill. Jones himself was very ill before the Test, and deemed his score of 48 on his debut as his "best knock".
Between 1984 and 1992, Jones played 52 Test matches for Australia, scoring 3,631 runs, including 11 centuries, at an average of 46.55.
His most notable innings was in only his third Test, against India
in the Tied Test
in Chennai
(Madras) in 1986. Suffering from dehydration in the oppressively hot and humid conditions, Jones was frequently vomiting on the pitch. He wanted to go off the field "retired ill" which led his captain Allan Border
to say that if he could not handle the conditions, "then let's get a real Australian" (Greg Ritchie
, a Queenslander like Border, was the next man in to bat). This comment spurred Jones to score 210, an innings he considered a defining moment in his career and one of the epic Test innings in Australian cricket folklore.
Jones went on to be a mainstay of the Australian Test team middle order over the next six years and being one of the stars of the successful 1989 Ashes
tour of England. He was controversially dropped from the test team at the start of the 1992–93 season, despite having topped the averages in the previous Test series, against Sri Lanka. The decision dumbfounded many Australian cricket fans, given his reasonably good form at the time, and sparked calls from some in the media that his axing was due to a personal vendetta the then Australian coach Bob Simpson
held against Jones. Other commentators suggested that Jones's penchant for publicly questioning the motives and decisions of the national team selectors brought a premature end to his Test career.
Jones stayed in the one-day team a little longer: he was omitted from the one-day team for the 1993 Ashes
tour, but managed to force his way back into the team for one last stint during the 1993–94 season, before being dropped .
Jones was one of Australia's most successful batsmen in One Day International matches. In 164 matches he scored 6,068 runs, including seven centuries and 46 half centuries, at an average of 44.61. His strike rate of 72.56 may seem pedestrian now in the era of 300-plus scores in one-dayers and Twenty20 cricket, but it was a benchmark at the time. Jones played in the 1987 World Cup
winning team, and was noted for his electric running between the wickets, outstanding out-fielding and aggressive batting especially against fast bowlers. With his positive, aggressive and flamboyant style of play he became a crowd favourite.
Jones also played for Durham
and Derbyshire
in the English County Championship
. He left Derbyshire in mid-season and also had run-ins with authority and team mates in his home state of Victoria. During his career, he scored 19,188 runs in first class matches, including 55 centuries and 88 half centuries and a highest score of 324 not out, at an average of 51.85.
Jones is now a coach and a commentator. He is well-known for his condemnation of the bowling action of the Sri Lanka
n off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan
.
He is also a noted fundraiser for people with cancer. On 12 June 2006, in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, he was made a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia
for "service to cricket as a player, coach and commentator, and to the community through fundraising activities for organisations assisting people with cancer".
He is also well known to enjoy being in the Indian subcontinent
, particularly in India, and enjoys the region's culture and cuisine. Jones publicly expressed his disappointment at not being considered for selection as coach of the Indian cricket team in 2005; another former Australian batsman Greg Chappell
was selected instead. At the time, Jones had repeatedly highlighted that he had visited India "27 times". As of November 2008, he has being stating on air that he has visited India "89 times".
player Hashim Amla
as a "terrorist" on 7 August 2006. When Amla, who is a Muslim
with a full beard, took a catch, Jones was heard to say "the terrorist gets another wicket". Jones made the comment during a commercial break, but the comment went to air live in South Africa as its broadcast had not been interrupted. He has since apologised to all concerned.
Jones wrote a series of blogs about the 2009 Ashes for Yahoo! sport, and joined the ICL
commentary team in 2007–08.
In July 2010, Jones was stripped of his 2007 Father of the Year title after he admitted that he had a nine-year affair with a flight attendant, and fathered a son whom he had never seen.
During Indian Premier League 2011, Jones commented that " RCA
should lick Warne's
feet". The association may initiate criminal proceedings against him.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 24 March 1961) is a retired Australian cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, and is presently a coach. He also worked as a media commentator.
Career
Jones began his first class career in the 1981–82 season with VictoriaVictorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
in the Sheffield Shield. He made his Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
debut for Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
in the West Indies in 1984. He was not picked in the original XI, but was drafted into the side after Steve Smith fell ill. Jones himself was very ill before the Test, and deemed his score of 48 on his debut as his "best knock".
Between 1984 and 1992, Jones played 52 Test matches for Australia, scoring 3,631 runs, including 11 centuries, at an average of 46.55.
His most notable innings was in only his third Test, against India
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
in the Tied Test
Tied Test
Tied Test refers to a rare result in Test cricket. Only two ties have occurred in the 2,000 Tests played since 1877. The first was in 1960 and the second in 1986...
in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
(Madras) in 1986. Suffering from dehydration in the oppressively hot and humid conditions, Jones was frequently vomiting on the pitch. He wanted to go off the field "retired ill" which led his captain Allan Border
Allan Border
Allan Robert Border AO is a former Australian cricketer. A batsman, Border was for many years the captain of the Australian team. His playing nickname was "A.B.". He played 156 Test matches in his career, a record until it was passed by fellow Australian Steve Waugh...
to say that if he could not handle the conditions, "then let's get a real Australian" (Greg Ritchie
Greg Ritchie
Gregory Michael Ritchie is a former Australian cricketer who played in 30 Tests and 44 ODIs from 1982 to 1987....
, a Queenslander like Border, was the next man in to bat). This comment spurred Jones to score 210, an innings he considered a defining moment in his career and one of the epic Test innings in Australian cricket folklore.
Jones went on to be a mainstay of the Australian Test team middle order over the next six years and being one of the stars of the successful 1989 Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
tour of England. He was controversially dropped from the test team at the start of the 1992–93 season, despite having topped the averages in the previous Test series, against Sri Lanka. The decision dumbfounded many Australian cricket fans, given his reasonably good form at the time, and sparked calls from some in the media that his axing was due to a personal vendetta the then Australian coach Bob Simpson
Bob Simpson (cricketer)
Robert Baddeley Simpson AO is a former cricketer who played for New South Wales, Western Australia and Australia, captaining the national team from 1963–64 until 1967–68, and again in 1977–78. He later had a highly successful term as the coach of the Australian team...
held against Jones. Other commentators suggested that Jones's penchant for publicly questioning the motives and decisions of the national team selectors brought a premature end to his Test career.
Jones stayed in the one-day team a little longer: he was omitted from the one-day team for the 1993 Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
tour, but managed to force his way back into the team for one last stint during the 1993–94 season, before being dropped .
Jones was one of Australia's most successful batsmen in One Day International matches. In 164 matches he scored 6,068 runs, including seven centuries and 46 half centuries, at an average of 44.61. His strike rate of 72.56 may seem pedestrian now in the era of 300-plus scores in one-dayers and Twenty20 cricket, but it was a benchmark at the time. Jones played in the 1987 World Cup
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
winning team, and was noted for his electric running between the wickets, outstanding out-fielding and aggressive batting especially against fast bowlers. With his positive, aggressive and flamboyant style of play he became a crowd favourite.
Jones also played for Durham
Durham County Cricket Club
Durham County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was...
and Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
in the English County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
. He left Derbyshire in mid-season and also had run-ins with authority and team mates in his home state of Victoria. During his career, he scored 19,188 runs in first class matches, including 55 centuries and 88 half centuries and a highest score of 324 not out, at an average of 51.85.
Jones is now a coach and a commentator. He is well-known for his condemnation of the bowling action of the Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket playing nation...
n off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan , often referred to as Murali, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who was rated the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002...
.
He is also a noted fundraiser for people with cancer. On 12 June 2006, in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, he was made a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
for "service to cricket as a player, coach and commentator, and to the community through fundraising activities for organisations assisting people with cancer".
He is also well known to enjoy being in the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
, particularly in India, and enjoys the region's culture and cuisine. Jones publicly expressed his disappointment at not being considered for selection as coach of the Indian cricket team in 2005; another former Australian batsman Greg Chappell
Greg Chappell
Gregory Stephen Chappell MBE is a former cricketer who captained Australia between 1975 and 1977 and then joined the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation, before returning to the Australian captaincy in 1979, a position he held until his retirement 1983...
was selected instead. At the time, Jones had repeatedly highlighted that he had visited India "27 times". As of November 2008, he has being stating on air that he has visited India "89 times".
Controversy
Jones' commentating contract with Ten Sports was terminated after referring to South AfricanSouth African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
player Hashim Amla
Hashim Amla
Hashim Mahomed Amla is a South African cricketer. A right-handed upper order batsman and occasional medium-pace bowler, Amla bats at number 3 for South Africa in Test matches and has opened in limited overs contests. He is currently ranked as the No...
as a "terrorist" on 7 August 2006. When Amla, who is a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
with a full beard, took a catch, Jones was heard to say "the terrorist gets another wicket". Jones made the comment during a commercial break, but the comment went to air live in South Africa as its broadcast had not been interrupted. He has since apologised to all concerned.
Jones wrote a series of blogs about the 2009 Ashes for Yahoo! sport, and joined the ICL
Indian Cricket League
The Indian Cricket League was a private cricket league funded by Zee Entertainment Enterprises that operated between 2007 and 2009 in India...
commentary team in 2007–08.
In July 2010, Jones was stripped of his 2007 Father of the Year title after he admitted that he had a nine-year affair with a flight attendant, and fathered a son whom he had never seen.
During Indian Premier League 2011, Jones commented that " RCA
Rajasthan Cricket Association
The Rajasthan Cricket Association , headquartered in Jaipur, administers the game of cricket in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It officiates over the state level cricket in Rajasthan and the Rajasthan cricket team. It selects the cricket team of the state of Rajasthan to play in Indian first class...
should lick Warne's
Shane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
feet". The association may initiate criminal proceedings against him.