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Adam Gilchrist

Adam Craig Gilchrist (born 14 November 1971) is an Australian cricket commentator and former international cricketer and captain of the Australia national cricket team. He was an attacking left-handed batsman and record-breaking wicket-keeper, who redefined the role for the Australia national team through his aggressive batting. Widely regarded as the greatest wicket-keeper-batsman in the history of the game, Gilchrist held the world record for the most dismissals by a wicket-keeper in One Day International (ODI) cricket until it was surpassed by Kumar Sangakkara in 2015 and the most by an Australian in Test cricket. Gilchrist was a member of the Australian team that won three consecutive world titles in a row: the 1999 Cricket World Cup, the 2003 Cricket World Cup, and the 2007 Cricket World Cup, along with winning the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy.

His strike rate is amongst the highest in the history of both ODI and Test cricket; his 57 ball century against England at Perth in December 2006 is the fourth-fastest century in all Test cricket. He was the first player to have hit 100 sixes in Test cricket. His 17 Test centuries and 16 in ODIs are both second only to Sangakkara by a wicket-keeper. He holds the unique record of scoring at least 50 runs in successive World Cup finals (in 1999, 2003 and 2007). His 149 off 101 balls against Sri Lanka in the 2007 World Cup final is rated one of the greatest World Cup innings of all time. He is one of only three players to have won three World Cup titles.

Gilchrist was renowned for walking when he considered himself to be out, sometimes contrary to the decision of the umpire. He made his first-class debut in 1992, his first One-Day International appearance in 1996 in India and his Test debut in 1999. During his career, he played for Australia in 96 Test matches and over 270 One-day internationals. He was Australia's regular vice-captain in both forms of the game, captaining the team when regular captains Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting were unavailable. He retired from international cricket in March 2008, though he continued to play domestic tournaments until 2013.

Early and personal life
Adam Gilchrist was born in 1971 at Bellingen Hospital, in Bellingen, New South Wales, the youngest of four children. He and his family lived in Dorrigo, Junee and then Deniliquin where, playing for his school, Deniliquin South Public School, he won the Brian Taber Shield (named after New South Wales cricketer Brian Taber). When Adam was 13, his parents, Stan and June, moved the family to Lismore where he captained the Kadina High School cricket team.

Gilchrist was selected for the state under-17 team, and in 1989 he was offered a scholarship by London-based Richmond Cricket Club, a scheme he now supports himself. During his year at Richmond, he also played junior cricket for Old Actonians Cricket Club's under-17 team, with whom he won the Middlesex League and Cup double. He moved to Sydney and joined the Gordon District Cricket Club in Sydney Grade Cricket, later moving to Northern Districts.

Gilchrist is married to his high school sweetheart Melinda ( Sharpe), a dietitian, and they have three sons and a daughter. His family came under the spotlight in the months leading up to the 2007 Cricket World Cup as one impending birth threatened his presence in the squad; the child was born in February and Gilchrist was able to take part in the tournament.

Domestic career
In 1991, Gilchrist was selected for the Australia Young Cricketers, a national youth team that toured England and played in youth ODIs and Tests. Gilchrist scored a century and a fifty in the three Tests. Upon his return to Australia late in the year, Gilchrist was accepted into the Australian Cricket Academy. Over the next year, Gilchrist represented the ACA as they played matches against the Second XI of Australia's state teams, and toured South Africa to play provincial youth teams.

Upon returning to Australia, Gilchrist scored two centuries in four matches for the state Colts and Second XI teams, and was rewarded with selection to make his first-class debut for New South Wales during the 1992–93 season, although he played purely as a batsman, due to the presence of incumbent wicketkeeper Phil Emery.

In his first season, the side won the Sheffield Shield, Gilchrist scoring an unbeaten 20 in the second innings to secure an easy win over Queensland in the final. Gilchrist made 274 runs at an average of 30.44 in his debut season, a score of 75 being his only effort beyond fifty. He also made his debut in Mercantile Mutual limited overs competition. He struggled to keep his place in the side, playing only three first-class matches in the following season. He scored on 43 runs at 8.60; New South Wales won both competitions, but Gilchrist was overlooked for both finals and did not play a single limited overs match.

Due to a lack of opportunities in the dominant New South Wales outfit, Gilchrist joined Western Australia at the start of the 1994–95, where he had to compete with former Test player Tim Zoehrer for the wicket-keeper's berth. Gilchrist had no guarantee of selection. However, he made a century in a pre-season trial match and seized Zoehrer's place. The local fans were initially hostile to the move, but Gilchrist won them over. He made 55 first-class dismissals in his first season, the most by any wicketkeeper in Australian domestic cricket in 1994–95. However, he struggled with the bat, scoring 398 runs at 26.53 with seven single figure scores, although he recorded his maiden first-class century in the latter stages of the season, with 126 against South Australia. Gilchrist was rewarded with selection in the Young Australia team that toured England in 1995 and played matches against the English counties. Gilchrist starred with bat, scoring 490 runs at 70.00 with two centuries.

His second season based in Perth saw him top of the dismissals again, with 58 catches and four stumpings, but, significantly, 835 runs at an impressive batting average of 50.52.

The Warriors made it to the final of the Sheffield Shield, at the Adelaide Oval, where Gilchrist scored 189 not out in the first innings, from only 187 balls, including five sixes. The innings brought Gilchrist national prominence. The match ended in a thrilling draw as South Australia's last-wicket pair held on to fend off the visitors. The hosts thus took the title, having scored more points in the qualifying matches. Gilchrist also scored an unbeaten 76 to help Western Australia secure a narrow three-wicket victory over New South Wales in the penultimate limited overs match of the season, which saw them into the final against Queensland, which was lost.

Gilchrist's form saw him selected for Australia A, a team comprising players close to national selection. At the start of the 1996–97 season, sections of the media advocated that he replace Ian Healy as the national wicket-keeper, but Healy struck 161 in the First Test and maintained his position. Gilchrist continued to perform strongly on the domestic circuit he topped the dismissals count once again, with 62, along with a batting average of just under 40, although he failed to post a century.

Team success came in the Mercantile Mutual Cup, where the Warriors won by eight wickets against Queensland in the March 1997 final; Gilchrist was not required to bat.

The 1997–98 season ended with Gilchrist top of the dismissals chart for the fourth season in a row with an improved batting average of 47.66, despite playing in only six of the ten qualifying Shield matches due to his becoming a regular member of the national limited overs team. Gilchrist registered his maiden–first-class double century with an unbeaten 203 against South Australia early in the season, before returning late in the season after his international commitments were over. He added 109 against Victoria, and played in the Sheffield Shield final victory over Tasmania, although he scored only eight. There was disappointment for the team in the Mercantile Mutual Cup, losing the semi-final to Queensland.

The following season saw Gilchrist's domestic appearances diminish due to his international commitments: he made only a single appearance in the Mercantile Mutual Cup, but still managed to help Western Australia defend the Sheffield Shield, scoring a century in the qualifying rounds.

Gilchrist's regular selection for Australia meant that he was rarely available for domestic selection after he became the Test wicket-keeper in late-1999; between 1999 and 2005, he made only seven first-class appearances for his state.

He did not play in the 2005–06 Pura Cup and only appeared three times in the limited-overs ING Cup.

Indian Premier League
Gilchrist played a total of six seasons in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the major Twenty20 franchise league in India, three for Deccan Chargers and three for Kings XI Punjab. He was signed by Deccan for the 2008 season, the inaugural season of the competition, having been purchased for US$700,000 in the player auction a few months after his retirement from international cricket.

Before the fourth season of the IPL Gilchrist was bought at the 2011 player auction by Kings XI Punjab for US$900,000 and was, again, appointed as captain, taking over from Kumar Sangakkara who had moved to Deccan. In March 2012 he was named player-coach of the side for the following season, replacing his friend and former Australia teammate Michael Bevan, whose contract as head coach was not renewed. After the team failed to make the play-offs, Gilchrist speculated that he may choose to retire from cricket.

Following the appointment of Darren Lehmann, who had previously worked with Gilchrist at Deccan, as head coach, Gilchrist chose to play one more IPL season for Kings XI, once again as captain. In May 2013, Gilchrist announced his retirement from the IPL. A planned appearance in the first season of the Caribbean Premier League had to be cancelled after an ankle injury and the match proved to be Gilchrist's last in top-class cricket. In that fixture, Gilchrist took the wicket of Harbhajan Singh, from his one and only ball he ever bowled in a T20 match.

Over his six seasons in the IPL Gilchrist played a total of 82 matches, 48 for Deccan and 34 for Kings XI. He scored more than 2,000 runs, including two centuries. He was also the first cricketer to score 1000 runs in IPL.

Middlesex
Gilchrist signed a short-term contract in November 2009 to play Twenty20 cricket for Middlesex County Cricket Club in England during 2010. He was appointed interim captain of the T20 side on 11 June following the sudden resignation of Shaun Udal. He played in seven matches for the side during the 2010 Twenty20 Cup, scoring 212 runs at an average of 30.28, including a century made against Kent at Canterbury, as well as captaining the county against the touring Australians in a one-day match ahead of their ODI series against England. The season was Gilchrist's only one spent playing county cricket.

Early one-day seasons
Gilchrist was called up for the Australian One Day International (ODI) team in 1996, his debut coming against South Africa at Faridabad on 25 October 1996 as the 129th Australian ODI cap, after an injury to incumbent Ian Healy. While not particularly impressive with the bat on his debut, scoring 18 before being bowled by Allan Donald, Gilchrist took his first catch as an international wicketkeeper, Hansie Cronje departing for a golden duck from the bowling of Paul Reiffel. He was run out for a duck in his only other ODI on the tour. Healy resumed his place during the 1996–97 season. Gilchrist replaced Healy for the first two ODIs in the 1997 Australian tour of South Africa, after Healy was suspended for dissent. When Healy returned Gilchrist maintained his position in the team as a specialist batsman after Mark Waugh sustained a hand injury.

It was during this series that Gilchrist made his first ODI half-century, with an innings of 77 in Durban. He totalled 127 runs at 31.75 for the series. Gilchrist went on to play in the Texaco Trophy later in 1997 in the 3–0 series loss against England, scoring 53 and 33 in two innings.

At the start of the 1997–98 Australian season, Healy and captain Mark Taylor were omitted from the ODI squad as the Australian selectors opted for Gilchrist and Michael di Venuto. Gilchrist's elevation was made possible by a change in policy by selectors, who announced that selection for ODI and Test teams would be separate, with Test and ODI specialists selected accordingly, while Healy remained the preferred Test wicket-keeper. This came after Australia failed to qualify for the previous season's ODI triangular series final for the first time in 17 years. The new team was initially unconvincing, losing all four round robin matches against South Africa in the 1997–98 Carlton & United Series, with multiple players filling Taylor's role as Mark Waugh's opening partner without success. Gilchrist also struggled batting in the lower order at number seven, the conventional wicket-keeper's batting position, scoring 148 runs at 24.66 in the eight qualifying matches.

In the first final against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground Gilchrist was selected as Waugh's opening partner. In a particularly poor start to the new combination, Waugh was run out after a mix-up with Gilchrist. However, in the second final, Gilchrist struck his maiden ODI century, spearheading Australia's successful run chase at the Sydney Cricket Ground, securing his position as an opening batsman. Australia won the third final to claim the title.

Touring New Zealand in February 1998, Gilchrist topped the Australia averages with 200 runs at 50.00, including a match-winning 118 in the first match. He also effected his first ODI stumping, the wicket of Nathan Astle in the Second ODI in Wellington. Australia then played two triangular tournaments in Asia. Gilchrist struggled in India, scoring 86 runs at 17.20. He went on to play in the Coca-Cola Cup in Sharjah in April 1998, a triangular tournament between Australia, India and New Zealand. Australia finished runners-up in the tournament, with Gilchrist taking nine dismissals as wicketkeeper and averaging 37.13 with the bat.

Gilchrist won a silver medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, the only time men's cricket has been in the Commonwealth Games. The matches did not have ODI status, and after winning their first four fixtures, Australia lost the final to South Africa, Gilchrist making 15. He then scored 103 and ended with 190 runs at 63.33 as Australia took a rare 3–0 whitewash on Pakistani soil.

Gilchrist was in fine form ahead of the 1999 Cricket World Cup with a productive individual performance in the Carlton & United Series in January and February 1999 against Sri Lanka and England. He finished with 525 runs at a batting average of 43.75 with two centuries—both against Sri Lanka—and a fifty, and a total of 27 dismissals in 12 matches. His 131 helped Australia set a successful run-chase at the SCG, and he followed this with 154 at the MCG. The 1999 tour of the West Indies was Australia's last campaign before the World Cup and continued to prove Gilchrist's ability as a wicketkeeper-batsman. Gilchrist, with a batting average of 28.71 and a strike rate of nearly 90.00, and seven fielding dismissals in a seven-match series which ended 3–3 with one tie.

First World Cup success
Gilchrist played in every match of Australia's successful World Cup campaign, but struggled at first, with scores of 6, 14 and 0 in the first three matches against Scotland, New Zealand and Pakistan. Australia lost the latter two matches and had to avoid defeat for six consecutive matches to reach the final. Gilchrist's quick-fire 63 runs in 39 balls against Bangladesh helped the Australians into the Super Six stage of the tournament, which was secured with a win over the West Indies, although Gilchrist made only 21. Gilchrist continued to struggle in the Super Six phase, scoring 31, 10 and 5 against India, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Australia won all three matches, the last in the final over, to scrape into the semifinals. Gilchrist made only 20 in the semifinal against South Africa, but completed the final act of the match. With the scores tied, South Africa were going for the winning run when Gilchrist broke the stumps to complete the run out of Allan Donald; the match was tied, and Australia proceeded to the final as they had won the group stage match against South Africa. Gilchrist's 54 in the final helped secure Australia's first world title since 1987 with an eight wicket victory over Pakistan. It was a happy ending for Gilchrist, who had struggled through the tournament, with 237 runs at 21.54.

Success at the World Cup was followed by a defeat by Sri Lanka in the final of the Aiwa Cup in August 1999. Gilchrist was the most successful batsman and wicket-keeper of the tournament, with 231 runs at 46.20. While the Test players battled against Sri Lanka, Gilchrist led Australia A in a limited overs series against India A in Los Angeles. He then scored 60 runs at 20.00 as the Australians completed a 3–0 whitewash of Zimbabwe in October.

Test debut
Gilchrist made his Test match debut in the First Test against Pakistan at the Gabba in Brisbane in November 1999 becoming the 381st Australian Test cricketer. He replaced Healy, who was dropped after a run of poor form, despite the incumbent's entreaties to the selectors to allow him a farewell game in front of his home crowd. Gilchrist's entry into the Test arena coincided with a dramatic rise in Australia's fortunes. Up to this point, they had played eight Tests in 1999, winning and losing three.

Gilchrist's icy reception at the Gabba did not faze him; he took five catches, stumped Azhar Mahmood off Shane Warne's bowling and scored a rapid 81, mostly in partnership with ODI partner Waugh, in a match that Australia won comfortably by ten wickets. In his second Test match he made an unbeaten 149 to help guide Australia to victory in a game that looked well beyond their reach. Australia were struggling at 5/126 in pursuit of 369 for victory as he joined his Western Australian teammate, Justin Langer, but the pair put on a record-breaking partnership of 238 to seal an Australian win. Gilchrist continued his strong run throughout his debut Test season, and ended the summer with 485 runs at 69.28 in six matches, three each against Pakistan and India, adding two fifties against the latter.

Gilchrist was moderately successful in the following ODIs, the Carlton & United Series; Australia defeated Pakistan 2–0 in a best-of-three final. Gilchrist scored 272 runs at 27.20; his best effort was 92 in a 152-run victory over India on Australia Day. Gilchrist then scored 251 runs at 41.66 in the ODIs during a tour of New Zealand. The highlight was a 128 in Christchurch that propelled Australia to a score of 6/349. Gilchrist was named man of the match in two of the games.

In the Third Test against New Zealand in 2000, Gilchrist recorded the third best Test performance ever by a wicketkeeper, and the best by an Australian, taking ten catches in the match. Although Gilchrist's batting was modest, yielding 144 runs at 36.00, Australia took a 3–0 clean sweep. In two home and away ODI series against South Africa, Gilchrist had a quiet time, scoring 170 runs at 26.66. South Africa won three of the six matches, with one tie.

Later that year, he was handed the vice-captaincy of the Australian team in place of Shane Warne, who had been plagued by a number of off-field controversies, including an altercation with some teenage boys, and a sex scandal with a British nurse.

The 2000–01 season saw a West Indian touring party and Gilchrist warmed up with consecutive first-class centuries for Western Australia. Captaining his Test team for the first time in place of the injured Steve Waugh in the Third Test in Adelaide. Gilchrist scored only 9 and 10 not out, but a ten-wicket haul from Colin Miller resulted in a hard-fought five-wicket victory for Australia. Gilchrist described the match as "the proudest moment of my career". Waugh resumed the captaincy on his return to the team for the Fourth and Fifth Tests, with the series finishing in a 5–0 whitewash. Gilchrist scored 241 runs at 48.20 with two fifties. In the ensuing ODI tournament, Gilchrist scored 326 runs at 36.22 with a top-score of 98 as the Australians won all ten matches.

Up to this point, Gilchrist had played in 14 Tests, all in Australasia, and all of which had been won. Australia's run of 15 consecutive Test wins faced a steep challenge on the tour of India, where they had not won a Test series since 1969–70.

Australia's streak looked in danger during the First Test in Mumbai when they fell to 5/99 in reply to India's 171 when Gilchrist came to the crease. He counterattacked savagely, scoring 122 in just 112 balls, and featuring in a 197-run partnership with Matthew Hayden in only 32 overs. This swung the momentum back to Australia, who reached 349. Gilchrist took six catches and was named Man of the Match in a ten wicket victory, extending the world record run to 16.

Gilchrist's form dipped momentarily, with a rare king pair (two golden ducks in the same match) in the Second Test in Kolkata and just two runs in his two innings in Chennai. He was out LBW four consecutive times in the last two Tests, three of these to Harbhajan Singh, who took 32 wickets in the series to end Australia's run by inflicting a 2–1 series loss. His one-day form remained strong, with 172 runs at 43.00 in the ODI series in India, as Australia bounced back to win the series 3–2. During this series he captained the ODI team for the first time, winning all three of the matches under his captaincy.

2001 Ashes
Gilchrist played a pivotal role in the 2001 Ashes series which Australia won 4–1, with 340 runs at a batting average of 68.00 and 26 dismissals in the five-match series.

Gilchrist warmed up by putting his ODI struggles on English soil in 1999 behind him, scoring 248 runs at 49.60 in the triangular tournament preceding the Tests, scoring an unbeaten 76 in the final win over Pakistan.

Gilchrist put the disappointment of India behind him in the First Test at Edgbaston, scoring 152 from only 143 balls. The allowed Australia to reach 576 in only 545 minutes, and set up an innings victory that set the tone for the series. Gilchrist then added 90 in the eight-wicket win in the Second Test at Lord's, before turning the tide in the Third Test at Trent Bridge. Australia slumped to 7/105 in reply to the hosts' 185, but Gilchrist's 54 took the tourists to 190 before a seven-wicket win resulted in the retention of the Ashes.

Gilchrist captained the team in the Fourth Test at Headingley after an injury to Steve Waugh. After persistent rain interruptions, Gilchrist declared with Australia four down at tea on the fourth day, leaving England with a target of 315, which, despite losing two early wickets, they reached with six wickets to spare, (Mark Butcher scoring an unbeaten 173, including 24 boundaries ). Gilchrist failed to pass 25 in the last two Tests, but it had been a productive season; he scored centuries in both of Australia's county matches.

Two home series followed in the 2001–02 season, a fully drawn (0–0) three match series against New Zealand and a whitewash over South Africa 3–0. Gilchrist scored 118 in the First Test against New Zealand and an unbeaten 83 in the Third Test in Perth as the Australians held on for a draw with three wickets intact. However, Gilchrist did little in the triumph over South Africa, failing to pass 35. He ended the summer Tests with 353 runs at 50.42.

In the ensuing ODIs, Gilchrist scored only 97 runs at 16.16. The Australian selectors sought to accommodate Hayden, who had been successful as a Test opener, into the ODI team by rotating him with Gilchrist and Waugh, but this appeared to unsettle the team. With a newly fragile top order, Australia failed to qualify for the finals, and the Waugh brothers were dropped from the team, ending Gilchrist's four-year partnership with Mark. Ricky Ponting was promoted to the captaincy ahead of vice captain Gilchrist.

The Australians then toured South Africa the next month and it was during the First Test in Johannesburg that Gilchrist broke the record for the fastest double century in Tests on 23 February, requiring 212 balls for the feat. This was eight balls quicker than Ian Botham's innings against India at The Oval in 1982. He ended unbeaten on 204, having featured in a partnership of 317 with Damien Martyn at a run rate of 5.5. South Africa were demoralised and lost by an innings after being forced to follow on. The record lasted only one month, however, with New Zealand's Nathan Astle taking 59 balls less to reach the milestone during an innings in March 2002.

In the Second Test at Cape Town, Gilchrist struck 138 from 108 balls to set up a first innings lead and eventual four-wicket win. He then top-scored with 91 in the Third Test, and although Australia lost the match, Gilchrist ended the series with an astonishing 473 at 157.66 from just 474 balls, in addition to 14 dismissals.

Gilchrist captained the ODI team, once again for a single match, against Kenya in Nairobi during the PSO Tri-Nation Tournament. Despite Australia's unbeaten run in the competition, the final, against Pakistan was abandoned due to rain, so the teams shared the trophy. During the six middle months of 2002, Gilchrist played in 18 ODIs, scoring 562 runs at 31.22, including a century, recovering from his slump.

After scoring 122 runs at 40.66 in the 3–0 Test series clean sweep over Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, Gilchrist went on to help the Australians retain The Ashes 4–1 in 2002–03, playing in all five matches of the series, finishing with 330 runs at 55.50 and taking 25 dismissals as wicket-keeper. After scoring fifties in the first two Tests, Gilchrist scored a counter-attacking 133 from 121 balls in the Fifth Test at the SCG, but was unable to prevent Australia's only loss of the series.

From the time of his debut up to the 2003 World Cup, Gilchrist's played in 40 Tests in series. With the exception of the 2001 tour of India, when he averaged 24.80 (he made 124 runs in the series; 122 of them came in one innings), his performances with the bat were such that he was described at the time as the "finest batsman-wicketkeeper to have graced the game". At one point in March 2002, Gilchrist's Test average was over 60; the second-highest for any established player in Test history, and he topped the ICC Test batting rankings in May 2002.

Gilchrist warmed up for the World Cup in South Africa by scoring 310 runs at 44.28 in the triangular tournament in Australia against England and Sri Lanka. His performances over the past year were recognised with the Allan Border Medal.

2003 World Cup
Gilchrist played in all but one of the matches in Australia's successful defence of their World Cup title; he was rested for the group match against the Netherlands. He finished the tournament with 408 runs at an average of 40.80 at a strike rate of 105. He scored four half-centuries, and was run out against Sri Lanka in the Super Six stage just a single run short of a century. In the semi-final, he scored 22 before being caught off an inside-edge onto pad off the bowling of Aravinda de Silva. The umpire gave no reaction, however Gilchrist walked off the pitch after a moment's pause. In 2009 it was described as an "astonishing moment" drawing criticism from England's Angus Fraser, who "objected to him being canonised simply for not cheating", and from others who "thought that he walked almost by accident; that having played his shot he overbalanced in the direction of the pavilion." His actions nevertheless drew praise from the majority. In the final, India elected to field first and Gilchrist hammered 57 from 48 balls, featuring in a century opening stand with Hayden to seize the initiative. This laid the foundation for Australia's 2/359 and a crushing 125-run win, ending an unbeaten campaign. Gilchrist was also the competition's most successful wicketkeeper, making 21 dismissals.

Success in the World Cup was followed up by a tour of the West Indies where Gilchrist was part of a side that won both the ODI and Test series. He scored 282 runs at 70.50 with one century in the four Tests, and 212 runs at 35.33 in the ODIs. The Australians then defeated a touring Bangladeshi cricket team in short series in both forms of the game. Gilchrist was only sporadically required with the bat.

Decline and revival
After scoring his first Test century at his home ground in Perth, an unbeaten 113 against Zimbabwe, Gilchrist's Test form dipped again during the 2003–04 season, with only 120 runs coming in the next 10 innings, during the home series against India (drawn 1–1) and the away series in Sri Lanka (won 3–0). However, he returned to form in the Second Test Kandy, scoring a quickfire 144 in the second innings to set up a 27-run win after Australia conceded a 91-run first innings lead.

However, he maintained high standards in ODIs during this period, including 111 against India in Bangalore, 172 against Zimbabwe, just one run short of Mark Waugh's Australian record, and two further half-centuries in the VB Series in Australia. His success in One-day cricket was underlined by his rise to the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings in February 2004. However, he was unable to maintain this form on the 2004 tours of Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and the Champions Trophy in England, accumulating 253 runs at 28.11 in 11 innings.

Gilchrist then scored 115 runs at 28.75 in two Tests at home to Sri Lanka in mid-2004, and captained in the First Test win in Darwin with Ponting absent. Australia won the series 1–0.

A 104 in the First Test against India in October 2004 proved to be a false renaissance; he scored only 104 runs in the remaining seven innings on the Indian tour and 139 runs in eight ODI innings towards the end of the 2004–05 season, which formed the lowest average period of Gilchrist's career until 2007. He took the captaincy of the Test team once again, in place of the injured Ricky Ponting, and led the Australian side to a historic 2–1 series victory in India, a feat last achieved in 1969. Ponting recovered to lead the team in the Fourth Test, Australia's only loss.

Gilchrist returned to form when New Zealand toured Australia at the start of southern hemisphere season. He scored 126 and 50 in the 2–0 Test series clean sweep and scored fifties in both ODIs. He then scored 230 runs at 76.66 in three Tests against Pakistan, including a rapid 113 in the Third Test at the SCG as Australia won all five Tests during the summer. He made it three successive Test centuries with 121 and 162 in the first two Tests on the tour of New Zealand, before ending with an unbeaten 60 in the Third Test; he totalled 343 runs at 114.33 for the series. His ODI form in the early part of 2005 remained moderate, with 308 runs at 28.00 during the southern summer.

Gilchrist was in strong form ahead of the Tests, scoring 393 runs at 49.13 in the ODIs in England. The highlight was the 121 not out in the final game of the one-day NatWest Series, Gilchrist being awarded the man-of-the-match award. However, he performed poorly in the five Tests, with 204 runs at 25.50. Just as in India in 2001, Australia lost 2–1.

Australia and Gilchrist returned to form after the Ashes in the series against the ICC World XI. Gilchrist scored 45, 103 and 32 as Australia swept the ODIs 3–0, and top-scored with 94 in the first innings of the one-off Test, which Australia won. However, this did not transfer into the regular international matches. In six home Tests against the West Indies and South Africa in 2005–06, Gilchrist managed only 190 runs at 23.75, but Australia was unhindered, winning 3–0 and 2–0 respectively.

His one-day form also began to suffer, scoring only 11 runs in three ODIs in New Zealand and 13 in the first two matches of the VB Series. He was rested for two games and returned to form against Sri Lanka on 29 January 2006 on his home ground, the WACA, hitting 116 runs off 105 balls to lead Australia to victory. He continued in this vein with the fastest ever century by an Australian in just 67 balls against Sri Lanka at the Gabba, ending with 122 as Australia won the deciding third final by nine wickets. After a slow start, he ended the series with 432 runs at 48.00.

The purple patch ended on the tour of South Africa and then Bangladesh. He scored 206 runs at 29.42 in five Tests and 248 runs at 35.42 in eight ODIs, inflated by a 144 in the First Test against Bangladesh. Despite this, Australia won all five Tests. Gilchrist scored 130 runs at 26.00, including a 92 against the West Indies as Australia won the 2006 Champions Trophy in India.

On 16 December 2006, during the Third Ashes Test at the WACA, Gilchrist scored a century in 57 balls, including twelve fours and four sixes, which at the time was the second fastest recorded Test century. At 97 runs from 54 balls, Gilchrist needed three runs from the next delivery to better Viv Richards' record set in 1986. The ball delivered by Matthew Hoggard was wide and Gilchrist was unable to score from it. He later claimed that the "batting pyrotechnics" had been the result of a miscommunication between Michael Clarke and him with the Australian captain Ricky Ponting; Gilchrist had actually been told not to score quick runs with a view to declaring the innings.

He ended the 2006–07 Ashes with a century and two fifties, totalling 229 runs at 45.80 at a strike rate of over 100 as Australia regained the Ashes with a 5–0 whitewash. It was an inconsistent series; aside from three scores mentioned, Gilchrist failed to pass one in his other three innings. Between Ashes series, Gilchrist had averaged only 25 with one Test century.

However, both he and Australia suffered a surprising string of poor results in the 2006–07 Commonwealth Bank Series, Gilchrist managing an average of only 22.20 during the tournament. Australia won seven of their eight qualifying matches, but England won with two finals victories over the Australians. Gilchrist scored 60 and 61 in the first two matches but did not pass 30 thereafter. He was then rested for Australia's winless three-match ODI tour of New Zealand, before his selection for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Having previously indicated that it was highly likely that he would retire after the 2007 World Cup, he then stated a desire to play on afterwards.

2007 World Cup
Gilchrist and Australia started their 2007 World Cup campaign by winning all three of their matches in Group A, against Scotland, the Netherlands and South Africa. Australia won all seven of their matches in the Super8 stage with little difficulty—the margins of victory exceeded 80 runs or six wickets in every instance. They topped the table and thus qualifying for a semi-final rematch against fourth-placed South Africa. Gilchrist opened the Australian batting in each match, taking a pinch-hitting role in the opening powerplays. Initially successful in the group matches, scoring 46, 57 and 42, he failed in the first Super8 match against West Indies (7), but bounced back to score a second half-century (59 not out) in a ten-wicket victory against Bangladesh in a match drastically shortened due to rain. After a run of middling scores, he failed again in the final Super8 match against New Zealand.

As a batsman, Gilchrist was dismissed for a single run in the semi-final against South Africa, despite which Australia won by seven wickets. Gilchrist opened the batting against Sri Lanka in the final. This was Gilchrist's third successive World Cup final, and the third time he scored at least 50 runs in a World Cup final and he went on to make his only ever century in a world cup match (his previous best World Cup score having been 99 against Sri Lanka in the 2003 tournament). Gilchrist went on to score 149 runs off 104 balls with thirteen fours and eight sixes, the highest individual score in a World Cup final, eclipsing his captain Ricky Ponting's score of 140 in the 2003 final. Australia won and he was named the man of the match. Subsequently there has been some controversy over Gilchrist's use of a squash ball inside his glove during this innings. The MCC stated that Gilchrist had not acted against the laws or the spirit of the game, since there is no restriction against the external or internal form of batting gloves.

In September 2007, Gilchrist played in the inaugural World Twenty20. He scored 169 runs at 33.80 as Australia were knocked out by India in the semifinals. Gilchrist then scored 208 runs at 34.66 as Australia took an away ODI series against India 4–2. In November, Gilchrist's peers voted him the greatest Australian ODI cricketer ever, for which he was awarded an honour at an ACA function before Australia's second Test against Sri Lanka. He was only required to bat once in the Tests, and made 67 not out as Australia swept Sri Lanka aside 2–0.

Retirement
On 26 January 2008 during the 4th and final Test of the 2007–08 series against India, Gilchrist announced that he would retire from international cricket at the end of the season. A back injury kept Ricky Ponting off the field for sections of the Indian's second innings, resulting in Gilchrist captaining the team for part of the final two days of his Test cricket career. India batted out the match for a draw, so Gilchrist's 14 in the first innings was his final Test innings; he took his 379th and final catch when Virender Sehwag was caught behind. Gilchrist had scored only 150 runs at 21.42 in his final Test series.

John Buchanan, who coached Australia during most of Gilchrist's international career, predicted that Gilchrist's retirement would have more impact than the previous year's retirements of Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Justin Langer and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd asked Gilchrist to reconsider. Gilchrist later revealed that he chose to retire after dropping VVS Laxman during the first innings, and realising that he had lost his "competitive edge." He played out the summer's ODI series, before ending in disappointment when India beat Australia 2–0 in the 2007–08 Commonwealth Bank Series finals. Gilchrist managed only seven and two in the finals. His highlight of the series was his scoring 118 and being named Man of the Match in his final match at his adopted home in Perth on 15 February 2008, against Sri Lanka. He ended his final series with 322 runs at 32.20.

Playing style
Gilchrist's attacking batting was a key part of Australia's one-day success, as he usually opened the batting. He was a part of the successful 1999, 2003 and 2007 Cricket World Cup campaigns. Gilchrist's Test batting average in the upper 40s is unusually high for a wicket-keeper. He retired from Test cricket at 45th on the all–time list of highest batting averages. At the end of his Test career he had established a Test strike-rate of 82 runs per hundred balls, at the time the third highest since balls were recorded in full. His combination of attack and consistency create one of the most dynamic world cricketers ever, playing shots to all areas of the field with uncommon timing. He was second on the all-time list of most sixes in Tests at 100 with only Brendon McCullum ahead of him with 107. Gilchrist's skills as a wicket-keeper were sometimes questioned; some claimed that he was the best keeper in Australia whilst others that Victorian wicket-keeper Darren Berry was the best Australian wicket-keeper of the 1990s and early 2000s. Gilchrist attributed his batting techniques from early training with his father, where he would defend shots, sometimes only gripping the bat with his top (right) hand, and would end a session to simply play attacking shots with tennis balls to end on a positive and fun note. He also adopted a naturally high grip where both hands were closer to the end of the handle for more top hand control.

Gilchrist successfully kept wicket for fast bowlers Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee for most of his international career. His partnerships with McGrath and Lee are second and fourth respectively in both test and ODI history for the number of wickets taken. With Alec Stewart and Mark Boucher, he shares the record for most catches (6) by a wicketkeeper in a ODI match, having achieved this feat five times. In 2007 he took six dismissals and scored a half century in the same ODI for the second time; he remains the only player to do so even once. At Old Trafford in August 2005, he passed Alec Stewart's world record of 4,540 runs as a Test wicketkeeper, and at his retirement in 2008, he was the most successful ODI wicket-keeper with 472 dismissals (417 catches and 55 stumpings), more than 80 dismissals ahead of his closest rival, Mark Boucher. This record was surpassed seven years later by Kumar Sangakkara.

Walking and discipline
It is unusual for professional batsmen to "walk"; that is, to agree that they have been dismissed and leave the field of play without waiting for (or contrary to) an umpire's decision. Gilchrist reignited this debate by walking during a high-profile match, the 2003 World Cup semi-final against Sri Lanka, after the umpire ruled him to be not out. He has since proclaimed himself to be "a walker", or a batsman who will consistently walk, and has done so on numerous occasions. On one occasion against Bangladesh, Gilchrist walked but TV replays failed to suggest any contact between his bat and the ball. Without such contact, he could not have been caught out. Ricky Ponting has declared on several occasions that he is not a walker but will leave it to each player to decide whether they wish to walk or not. While no other Australian top-order batsmen have expressly declared themselves to be walkers, lower-order batsmen Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz both walked during Test matches in India in 2004. In 2004, New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming accused Gilchrist of conducting a "walking crusade" when Craig McMillan refused to walk after Gilchrist had caught him off an edge from the bowling of Jason Gillespie in the First Test in Brisbane. After the appeal was turned down by the umpire, who did not hear the edge, Gilchrist goaded McMillan about the edge, and McMillan's angry response was picked up by the stump microphone: "...not everyone is walking, Gilly ... not everyone has to walk, mate...". The taunt was arguably effective, however, as McMillan, perhaps distracted, missed the next ball and was given out leg before wicket. Gilchrist said in his autobiography that he had "zero support in the team" for his stance and that he felt that the topic made the dressing room uncomfortable. He added that he "felt isolated" and "silently accused of betraying the team. Implicitly I was made to feel selfish, as if I was walking for the sake of my own clean image, thereby making everyone else look dishonest."

Gilchrist has been noted for his emotional outbursts on the cricket field, and has been fined multiple times for dissent against umpiring decisions. In January 2006, he was fined 40% of his match fee in an ODI against South Africa. In another instance, in early 2004 in Sri Lanka, Gilchrist audibly argued with umpire Peter Manuel after batting partner Andrew Symonds was given out. After the argument concluded, Manuel consulted umpiring partner Billy Bowden and reversed his decision, recalling Symonds to the crease. Gilchrist was also reprimanded by the Australian Cricket Board for publicly questioning the legality of Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action in 2002, as his comments were found to be in breach of the clause in the player code of conduct relating to "detrimental public comment".

During the 2003 World Cup, Gilchrist accused Pakistani wicket-keeper Rashid Latif of making a racist remark towards him while the latter was batting in their group match. Latif who was cleared by match referee Clive Lloyd, threatened to sue Gilchrist for this claim.

Awards
Gilchrist was one of five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 2002, and Australia's One-day International Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004. He was awarded the Allan Border Medal in 2003, and was the only Australian cricketer who was a current player at the time to have been named in "Richie Benaud's Greatest XI" in 2004. He was selected in the ICC World XI for the charity series against the ACC Asian XI, 2004–05, was voted as "World's Scariest Batsman" in a poll of international bowlers, and was named as wicket-keeper and opening batsman in Australia's "greatest ever ODI team." In a poll of over ten thousand people hosted in 2007 by ESPNcricinfo, he was voted the ninth greatest all-rounder of the last one hundred years. A panel of prominent cricket writers selected him in Australia's all-time best XI for ESPNcricinfo. Gilchrist has not only left his mark on Australian cricket but the whole cricketing world. In 2010, Gilchrist was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his services to cricket and the community. He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2012. On 9-December-2013, ICC announced that they had inducted Gilchrist in the prestigious ICC Hall of Fame. He was named an Australia Post Legend of Cricket in 2021.

Autobiography
Gilchrist's autobiography True Colours, published in 2008, was the subject of much controversy. Gilchrist questioned the integrity of leading Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar in relation to the evidence he presented in the Monkeygate dispute, which was about allegations of racism against Harbhajan Singh. The autobiography said that Tendulkar told the first hearing that he could not hear what Harbhajan said to Andrew Symonds; Gilchrist said that he was "certain he "Tendulkar" was telling the truth" because he was "a fair way away". Gilchrist then questioned why Tendulkar then agreed with Harbhajan's claim at the second hearing that the exchange was an obscenity, and concluded that the process was "a joke". He also raised questions over Tendulkar's sportsmanship and said he was "hard to find for a changing-room handshake after we have beaten India".

There was a backlash in India, which forced Gilchrist to clarify his position. Gilchrist later insisted that he did not accuse Tendulkar of lying in his testimony. He also denied calling the Indian a "bad sport" in regards to the handshake issue. Tendulkar responded by saying that "those remarks came from someone who doesn't know me enough. I think he made loose statements...I reminded him that I was the first person to shake hands after the Sydney defeat." The autobiography also blamed the ICC for allowing Sri Lankan cricketer Muralitharan to bowl; Gilchrist believes that ICC changed the throwing law to legitimise a bowling action that he regards as illegitimate. The law change was described as "a load of horse crap. That's rubbish." Gilchrist claimed that Muralitharan threw the ball and alleged that the ICC protected him because Sri Lankan cricket authorities portrayed any criticism of the bowler's legitimacy as racism and a witch-hunt conducted by whites. In response to these comments, former Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu said that by questioning the credentials of players like Muralitharan and Tendulkar, Gilchrist had done no good to his own reputation.

Charity, media, business career and political work
Outside cricket, Gilchrist is an ambassador for the charity World Vision in India, a country in which he is popular due to his cricketing achievements, and sponsors a boy whose father has died. He was approached in early 2005 by the US baseball franchise, the Boston Red Sox, with a view to him playing for them when his cricket career ended. However, he was selected for the 2007 Cricket World Cup and announced his retirement from Test and One-Day cricket in early 2008.

In March 2008, Gilchrist joined the Nine Network. Gilchrist has appeared as one of a panel of revolving co-hosts for the revived Wide World of Sports Weekend Edition. He made his debut on the program in March 2008, and commentates on Fox Sport's cricket coverage during the Australian summer. In 2013 Gilchrist joined Ricky Ponting and various other names in cricket to commentate for Channel Ten in the third series of the Big Bash League.

As Amway Australia Ambassador, Gilchrist has played a role in many of their charity events. In August 2010, he presented the Freedom Wheels program, an initiative to provide modified bikes to kids with disabilities, a cheque for $20,000.

Gilchrist was the chair of the National Australia Day Council from 2008 to 2014. In 2008, Gilchrist supported debate on whether Australia Day should be moved to a new date because the current date marks British settlement of New South Wales and is offensive to many Aboriginal Australians.

Gilchrist has had a number of company directorships outside of cricket. His appointment to the board of ASX listed sandalwood company TFS Corporation, committee member of Commonwealth Business Forum in Perth and director of Travelex. The appointment to TFS Corporation was not without controversy when as a board member of TFS he was named as a plaintiff suing his own TFS shareholders for defamation

Gilchrist also plays himself on the Australian comedy series How to Stay Married.

title: Adam Gilchrist


text:
Simon Katich

Simon Matthew Katich (born 21 August 1975) is an Australian cricket coach and former cricketer. He captained New South Wales and also, until the end of the 2007 season, Derbyshire County Cricket Club. Katich also played for Lancashire, represented his birth state of Western Australia and played in Indian Premier League for Kings XI Punjab. Katich was also a member of the Australian team that won the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy.

He played primarily as a left-handed opening batsman and part-time left-arm unorthodox spin bowler. He played 56 Test matches for Australia from 2001 to 2011. On 12 June 2012 Katich retired from first-class cricket in Australia, but returned to play for Western Australia in 2013. In August 2019, Katich was appointed as the head coach for Royal Challengers Bangalore, and was present at the 2020 IPL Player Auction in Kolkata in December 2019.

He is also a commentator for ABC Radio Grandstand and the Seven Network.

Early career
Katich was an AIS Australian Cricket Academy scholarship holder in 1996. and made his debut for the Western Australia state team in the 1996–97 season. The following season he was a central figure in Western Australia's Sheffield Shield success, scoring an impressive 1,039 first-class runs for the season.

International selection
He was selected to tour Sri Lanka with the national team the following season but suffered greatly from illness, including a debilitating bout of chicken pox.

He recovered to contribute further for his state, highlighted in the 2000–01 domestic season where he helped himself to 1,282 first-class runs. He later switched from Western Australia to New South Wales where he currently lives.

Katich made his Test debut in the fourth Test of the 2001 Ashes tour of England. He failed to capitalize making only 15 and was not out 0. In only his second match he bowled for the first time in Test cricket, and in the second innings took 6/65 against Zimbabwe at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Following Steve Waugh's retirement in 2004, Katich established himself in the Australian team. His best Test batting performance came against India at Sydney in January 2004, when his 125 and unbeaten 77 saved Australia the Test, series, and a decade long unbeaten record at home. Despite this, he was dropped in favour of Andrew Symonds for Australia's next Test, in Sri Lanka, when Symonds was dropped after the first two Tests, Katich was picked for the third Test and made a patient 86. He regained his place and enjoyed a good Test series in India in October 2004, where he made good scores of 81 and 99. His good form continued with 118 against New Zealand in March 2005.

However, he had a poor Ashes tour of England later that year batting at number 6, and after scoring only two runs in the following two Tests (against the ICC World XI and the West Indies), he was dropped from the Test side. Katich was fined for showing dissent during the fourth Test to umpire Aleem Dar along with captain Ricky Ponting.

Since the commencement of the 2005–06 season, Katich attempted to cement his place in the Australian one day cricket side, having lost his Test place. Australia persisted with him throughout the VB Series and in South Africa, as Katich scored runs fairly consistently. However, he struggled in the DLF Cup in September 2006; the next month he lost his place at the top of the order to Shane Watson, who impressed Ponting with some attacking displays against the West Indies and an Indian state team. Katich was not picked in the 15 man squad to play in the World Cup in the West Indies. Katich played a total of 45 One day Internationals.

Selected for the 2008 Australian team's tour of India he found himself opening the batting with the injury to Phil Jaques.

He retained his spot for the home series against New Zealand. In the first Test, at the Gabba, Brisbane, he made 10 in the first innings (in which Australia was all out for 214 on a tough batting deck). However, in the second innings, Katich carried his bat through the innings; the first cricketer to do so at Test level since Mark Taylor in the late 1990s. He made 131 not out, 48.88% of Australia's total of 268, in an innings in which the next highest score was 31 (by Mitchell Johnson batting at no. 10). Katich's batting allowed Australia to post a victory target of 327, which it ultimately defended.

Katich was selected for the 2009 tour to England and he played in all five Ashes Tests, scoring 341 runs in 8 innings at an average of 42.62. Katich opened the batting with Phillip Hughes for the first two Tests at Cardiff and Lord's but Hughes was dropped for the Third Test at Edgbaston due to poor form, so Katich was then partnered by Shane Watson for the final three Tests. This proved successful as Watson and Katich scored more runs at the top of the order than the previous Hughes-Katich combination. Katich scored his eighth Test century in the First Test with 122. This was backed up later in the series with a half century. Katich scored these runs at a strike rate of 53.87. He also took six catches in the field and effected two direct hit run outs in the Fifth Test.

2007–08 domestic season
The 2007–08 domestic season could only be described as a triumph for Katich. He scored 1,506 runs to break Michael Bevan's all-time Pura Cup/Sheffield Shield record for runs in a season as NSW romped home undefeated to claim their 45th title. Aside from being given the honour of captaining NSW in the Pura Cup final against Victoria, Katich also contributed scores of 86 and 92 to lead the match on run aggregate as he had done for the season overall. He was also crowned the Pura Cup player of the year for his 1506 runs at an average of 94.12. The highlight of Katich's season was undoubtedly his 306 against QLD at the SCG, an innings in which the last 200 runs came at better than a run a ball. It was the first time since Sir Donald Bradman that a player had scored 300 at the SCG, and an innings which the Sydney Morning Herald called "superb". Peter Roebuck later claimed Katich should be the Australian cricket captain after Ricky Ponting came under fire during the January 2008 SCG Test. During the coverage of the final, Damien Fleming described Katich as a left-handed V. V. S. Laxman for his dominant bottom hand and willingness to hit through the on-side. Katich's season culminated with his recall to the national side for May tour of the West Indies. He cemented his place in the Test team with scores of 113 and 157 in the second and third Tests respectively.

For his performances in 2010, he was named in the World Test XI by the ICC.

He was also awarded the Men's Test Player of the Year at the Allan Border Medal ceremony by the CA in 2010.

Despite his heroics, Katich, a former team mainstay, blamed Michael Clarke for effectively ending his career once he became captain in revenge for a post-match incident several years earlier which saw Katich grab Clarke by the throat following a row about the singing of Australia's team song in the dressing room.

Coaching career
In October 2015, Katich was appointed as an assistant coach of Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders. In 2019 he was appointed as head coach for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He was replaced during the 2021 IPL and in December 2021, Katich was named as assistant coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2022 season. On 18 February 2022, he resigned from the assistant coach role of Sunrisers Hyderabad due to differences with the franchise's auction strategy. In September 2022, he was named as the head coach for MI Cape Town in the upcoming SA20 League.

Personal life
Katich attended Trinity College in Perth, Western Australia, where there is a cricket pavilion named after him. He married Georgie Willis in May 2006. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia.

Katich is of Croatian descent. His father's parents were born in Croatia and emigrated to Australia in the 1920s, eventually settling in Perth. His father, Vince, was a police detective who helped play a part in the capture of serial killers David and Catherine Birnie. Katich and his wife Georgie became parents in 2011 when their son was born.

Katich formerly held the role of football operations manager of the Greater Western Sydney Giants AFL club.

Katich is Catholic and is quoted as saying, "My faith gives me a focus in how I lead my life and go about my cricket."

Tests
Test debut: vs England, Leeds, 2001
 * Katich's best Test batting score of 157 was made against West Indies, 2008
 * His best Test bowling figures of 6 wickets for 65 runs came against Zimbabwe, Sydney, 2003–04
 * Katich became the first Australian batsman since Mark Taylor in 1998 to carry his bat through a completed Test innings, notching 131 not out at the Gabba in 2008–09 vs New Zealand.
 * Made ten Test match centuries, the first against India at Sydney in 2004. His highest Test match score of 157 runs was made again st the West Indies in 2008 at the Kensington Oval.

One-day internationals
ODI Debut: vs Zimbabwe, Melbourne, 2000–01
 * Katich's best ODI batting score of 107* was made against Sri Lanka, the Gabba, on 14 February 2006.

Twenty20
He captained New South Wales to victory in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 in 2009.

First-class
He scored 306 for New South Wales against Queensland in Sydney, 2007

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Simon Katich


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Upul Chandana

Deshabandu Umagiliya Durage Upul Chandana (born 7 May 1972), popularly known as Upul Chandana, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played both Tests and ODIs. He was more specifically a leg spin bowler and was also an outstanding fielder. He was a part of the Sri Lankan squad which won the 1996 Cricket World Cup, however he did not play any matches during the tournament. Chandana is considered to be one of the best leg spinners who ever played for Sri Lanka. He was also a competent lower-order batsman, having scored a total of seven half-centuries at international level.

School times
Upul Chandana started his cricketing career as a teenager at Mahinda College, Galle.

Domestic career
Chandana has played county cricket in England for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and represented Nondescripts in Sri Lankan. He made his Twenty20 debut on 17 August 2004, for Nondescripts Cricket Club in the 2004 SLC Twenty20 Tournament.

Chandana joined the Indian Cricket League, playing for the Kolkata Tigers and ICL World XI, and with four other Sri Lankan cricketers was banned, but the decision was lifted on 2009.

International career
Despite making his ODI debut in 1994 aged 21, Chandana had to wait for five years to be included in the Test team. It came in the Asian Test Championship Final in March 1999 against Pakistan. Chandana bowled 47.5 overs in the first innings and finished with 6 for 179.

Over the next few years he made sporadic appearances for Sri Lanka and in 2002 he was named as captain of Sri Lanka A, when they played an unofficial Test series against Kenya and Chandana topped both the batting and bowling averages. This helped him work his way back into the side in 2003 and after a match-winning innings against West Indies at Bridgetown, Chasing 313 for victory, he was promoted up the order to 5 and smashed 89 off just 71 deliveries with 6 sixes. Since then he was a regular player in the one day team for the next few years.

When Muttiah Muralitharan withdrew from the 2004 tour to Australia, Chandana came into the Test side as the main spin bowler. Despite being expensive, he took a ten wicket haul in the 2nd Test at Cazalys Stadium in Cairns and is the only Sri Lankan bowler to take ten wickets in a test match in Australia.

Upul Chandana has the record for the highest test score when batting at number 9 for Sri Lanka(92).

Chandana retired from international cricket on 15 October 2007 after Bangladesh tour. In an emotional press conference, he said that he was forced to take the retirement decision because of the politics that existed in the team selections.

title: Upul Chandana


text:
Mediahuis Ireland

Mediahuis Ireland (formally Independent News and Media, or INM) is a Belgian/Dutch-owned media organisation that is based in Dublin and publishes national daily newspapers, Sunday newspapers, regional newspapers and operates multiple websites including Independent.ie. Mediahuis Ireland operates throughout Ireland. Its titles include the highest circulation daily and Sunday papers in Ireland. Mediahuis Ireland is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mediahuis.

The INM group of companies was dominated by Tony O'Reilly and his family between 1973 and 2012. Thereafter Denis O'Brien was the largest shareholder in Independent News & Media until April 2019.

Early history
The company was formed as Independent Newspapers Limited in 1904 by William Martin Murphy, as the publisher of the Irish Independent.

The O'Reilly years
In 1973, (Sir) Tony O'Reilly acquired 100% of the "A" shares of the company from the Murphy and Chance families, and was later forced to bid for the "B" (non-voting) shares. The company was subsequently floated on the Irish Stock Exchange and London Stock Exchange. The group expanded overseas, acquiring interests in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

In 1999, the company name was changed to Independent News and Media plc.

O'Reilly was CEO until early 2009, one of his sons, formerly COO, Gavin O'Reilly, became CEO in early 2009, and two others were non-executive directors for many years. O'Reilly himself resigned as CEO on 19 April 2012 and was replaced by Vincent Crowley. O'Reilly had come under pressure in recent months from two of INM's largest shareholders, billionaire Denis O'Brien and financier Dermot Desmond.

The O'Brien and Desmond years
In May 2012, Irish entrepreneur Denis O'Brien held a 29.9% stake in the company, making him the largest shareholder at the time. This compared to O'Reilly's family stake of around 13% (June 2012). Five per cent of the holding company was held by Clear Channel Communications, transferred in return for control of a South African outdoor advertising firm.

On 26 April 2013, INM announced it had concluded a deal with its bankers to exchange part of its debt for up to 20 percent of equity. The deal was subject to the sale of its South African newspapers, a reduction in staff levels of 10%, a capital raising, and the restructuring of the company's pension plan.

2019 change of ownership
In 2019, it was reported that INM was up for sale. According to reports, suitors include Schibsted, Sanoma Media and a private equity firm.

In April 2019, it was reported that INM had accepted an ownership bid of €145.6 million from Belgian media group Mediahuis. The offer was subject to acceptance by shareholders at an EGM, competition authority approval and government approval.

In May 2019, Mediahuis increased their stake to 29.9%.

An EGM held on 26 June 2019 approved the Mediahuis offer.

On 10 June 2019, the CCPC, who are the Irish competition authority, approved the acquisition.

On 28 June 2019, the acquisition received approval of shareholders. The acquisition was then subject to the approval of the Minister for Communications and the sanction of the High Court, as it was executed by way of a scheme of arrangement.

On 16 July 2019, it was announced that the court hearing would be on 30 July 2019.

On 29 July 2019, Richard Bruton, the Minister for Communications, "unconditionally" cleared the proposed deal.

On 30 July 2019, court approval was received for the deal. Trading of INM shares on Euronext Dublin (formerly the Irish Stock Exchange) and the London Stock Exchange was suspended, with the cancellation of shares taking effect on 1 August. INM was then re-regisrered as a private limited company. The process to buy up all of INM's outstanding shares from around 7,000 shareholders took place until the end of August 2019.

Mediahuis ownership (September 2019 – present)
In October 2019, it was reported that INM were closing their CityWest print plant.

In November 2019, it was announced that Mediahuis plans to transfer €60m to Belgian parent from INM.

In July 2020, it was reported that INM had acquired motor data company Cartell.ie.

In July 2020, it was announced that Independent News & Media had reached an agreement to sell their 50% stake in Independent Star to Reach plc. The agreement was subject to competition authority approval and was cleared by CCPC, the Irish competition authority and the Minister for Communications on 20 November 2020. The deal became effective in December 2020.

In March 2023, a redundancy programme was announced.

In April 2023, Mediahuis CEO said that daily newspapers would disappear inside the next decade.

Ireland: National newspapers

 * The Herald
 * Irish Independent
 * Sunday Independent
 * Sunday World

Ireland: Regional newspapers

 * The Kerryman
 * Drogheda Independent
 * The Sligo Champion
 * Wicklow People
 * Wexford People
 * Belfast Telegraph
 * Sunday Life
 * The Argus
 * New Ross Standard
 * The Corkman

Ireland: Magazines

 * Ireland's Own

Ireland: Websites operated

 * Independent.ie
 * CarsIreland.ie
 * NIcarfinder
 * ClickAndGo
 * PropertyNews.com
 * NIjobfinder
 * RecruitNI
 * Farm Ireland
 * Cartell.ie

Ireland: Distribution and delivery

 * NewsSpread
 * Reach Home Delivery

Ireland
In 1993, the group bought into the now defunct Sunday Tribune, in which it owned 98% of the issued share capital and over which it has considerable influence. As INM technically only held 29.9% of voting shares and so lacked management control, it did not consolidate the results of the Tribune, which is loss-making, with accumulated losses of around €45 million since acquisition. The Tribune went in to administration and closed in February 2011.

The group launched Independent Colleges, which has its base on Dublin's Dawson Street, in 2007, and sold its education division in 2014.

The Irish Daily Star, formerly 50% owned by INM, was sold to Reach plc, parent of the Daily Star in the UK, in 2020.

In 2022, the Fingal Independent was closed.

United Kingdom
The Independent (of London) was bought for around €100 million in 1997 and up until March 2010 the title had made cumulative losses of least €150 million. The Independent and the Independent on Sunday newspapers were sold to a company controlled by Alexander Lebedev in March 2010.

During 2007, INM opened a new full-colour Goss printing press facility in Newry, County Down. The press the Goss Flexible Printing System known as the FPS was the first FPS sold by Goss Preston.

 * Ireland's Saturday Night (closed in 2008)

South Africa
Until 2013, the group was the second biggest newspaper publisher in South Africa, owning 14 newspapers including The Star and Pretoria News in Gauteng, the Daily Voice, Cape Times, Cape Argus and Weekend Argus in Cape Town, The Mercury, Post, Isolezwe, Daily News, Sunday Tribune and Independent on Saturday in Durban, the Diamond Fields Advertiser in Kimberley, as well as the national Sunday Independent and 13 community newspapers in Cape Town. The group's titles account for 48% of the total advertising spend in paid newspapers, 22% of all newspapers sold in the country, and 63% of the English language market.

In mid-2012, speculation began that INM would sell their South African operation. This was later confirmed. INM had initially hoped for 250 million EUR for INM SA, however bids came in at around 150 million EUR. Cape Town businessman Iqbal Surve's Sekunjalo Investments consortium were the frontrunners to purchase INM SA. Initially Sekunjalo was set to take a 75% stake in the consortium, but this was changed to 55%, with the remainder going to two government entities. The first of these is the investment arm of the SA government, and the second, an investment arm of the Chinese government. Commenting on the deal University of the Witwatersrand journalism professor Anton Harber said that "the ANC is working with their Chinese allies—ruling party to ruling party, in the way the Chinese government so often works—to increase their influence in our local media and counter what they view as a hostile media sector."

Bloomberg reported that Denis O'Brien met Jacob Zuma, president of South Africa, during a private meeting at the hotel on 24 January 2013. He also met the broker negotiating the sale of INM SA.

Australia and New Zealand
The company owned a stake in APN News & Media Limited, a large newspaper publisher in Australia and New Zealand, which owns The New Zealand Herald and other newspapers, and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

On 12 February 2007, INM announced that the board of APN had recommended an all-cash revised offer of A$6.10 per share for the entire issued share capital of APN. The subsequent bid to take APN News & Media Ltd private in May 2007 was unsuccessful.

INL owned approximately 30% of APN at mid-2012 and sold it by March 2015.

India
INM previously entered into the Indian market, purchasing 20% of Dainik Jagran, the publishing company behind India's best-selling paper. This market has been identified by INM as being a key element of its move into non-English speaking media markets with huge growth opportunities and potential for advancement. Since the initial investment INM deepened its involvement by buying 20% of the radio business of Dainik Jagran. The intention is to establish eight radio stations in the so-called "Hindi Belt".

In August 2010, INM sold its entire stake in Dainik Jagran. INM no longer have any Indian interests.

Other interests
INM also held stakes in the Unison ISP and the iTouch electronic payments and premium rate telecoms operator, the controlling stake in the latter later being sold to a Japanese firm.

Cable
The company formerly held a 50% stake in Chorus Communications, the second largest cable television and MMDS operator in Ireland, having acquired this with a merger between Cable Management Ireland, and their own Irish Multichannel. However this was sold in 2004.

The group
The chief executive is Marc Vangeel having succeeded Michael Doorly in the role on 1 August 2019. The chairman is Murdoch MacLennan. The group website is inm.ie.

Controversies
There have been questions about the policy of not consolidating the 98%-owned but loss-making Sunday Tribune, and on the other hand the practice of consolidating entirely the massively profitable APN News & Media, which was less than 41%-owned. In the half-year to June 2007, for example, the group reported operating profits of €155 million—but this excluded €1.5 million of losses from the Tribune, and included €85 million from APN (whereas a proportionate share of profit would have been, at that time, €32 million).

There have also been questions about APN, which was acquired in transactions involving both the group and the O'Reilly family, and profited the latter greatly, and about the massive level of group debt (over €1.3 billion). Furthermore, there have been complaints about the level of power of the O'Reilly family, the independence or otherwise of the board, and about the costs of O'Reilly as CEO, with second-largest shareholder Denis O'Brien and others having noted travel costs from O'Reilly's primary home in the Bahamas, company payments towards his now second home in Kilcullen, near Dublin, on top of large salary and other contributions.

The groups' failure to cover the controversy surrounding INM director Brian Mulroney has also been criticised. Mulroney was the subject of an inquiry by Canadian Privy Council because of his part in a scandal involving the purchase of Airbus by Air Canada, and also his relationship to German arms dealer Karlheinz Schreiber.

The group's relationship with a variety of entertainment and public relationships firms via Clear Channel Independent has also been seen as problematic.

Independent News and Media was identified by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) as an employer where "bullying" and "lack of support" was rampant. The survey said 93% of the respondent claimed they didn't receive proper support from the management and 20% of them complained of bullying at work. The survey also claimed 96% of the respondent complained that they had to work overtime and 55% of them said they were forced to do so. INM declined to comment on the survey. [24 ]

title: Mediahuis Ireland


text:
Talk:Nereus

Comments
"Nereus" (the old man of the sea) has such irresistible similarities to the "Noah" of Genesis, it is quite remarkable.

The fact that both Nereus and Noah were said to be righteous, wise, and peacful, is interesting.

An author by the name of Robert Bowie Johnson Jr. is the first man to really pinpoint the similarities between these two figures of mythology. He has written several books about Greek mythology and its ties to the Genesis story.
 * Yes, the similarities with Noah should be pointed out in the article. --41.151.38.104 (talk) 23:16, 20 December 2011 (UTC)

Nereus identified as Horemheb
"Nereus was father to Thetis, one of the Nereids, who in turn was mother to the great Greek hero Achilles, and Amphitrite, who married Poseidon."

-- The Poseidon in this myth is Aegeus father of Theseus. That makes Nereus, 1 generation older than Aegeus, since Aegeus married the daughter of Nereus; Nereus is Horemheb. Horemheb had a sea campaign from Byblos to Carchemish. Carchemish was an important Mittani(Nahariya) city, that had recently conquered by the Hittites during the reign of Akhenaten. The name Nereus derives from Nahariya, where the Greeks add s's.

Additionally, the parentage of Nereus is Pontus; it appears to be a symbolic parentage. The Pontus Region is the general vicinity of the Mitanni.

Horemheb died childless, but was linked to the fertility Goddess Tauret, ie Doris. The 50 Nereids, or daughters of Nereus is a penteconter full of Egyptian girls. 2601:58B:E7F:8410:31D9:4936:EABE:5168 (talk) 23:53, 16 February 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Nereus


text:
Rodgers

Rodgers is a patronymic surname deriving from the given name of "Rodger" commonly used by the Normans and meaning "son of Rodger". Variant form of Rogers.

The name Rodger is of Old German origin and is likely derived from the Germanic name Hrodger meaning "famous spear", composed of the elements hruod "fame" and ger "spear".

In England, the name Rodger could’ve derived from the pre-7th century Old English name Hrothgar, which means 'fame spear' ("hroð" fame or renown, "gari" spear), the first reference to which is in Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon epic poem. The name was probably first introduced into England during the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain.

However, it is more likely that the name Rodger was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. In Normandy, the name "Rodger" was reinforced by the Old Norse cognate Hróðgeirr and was very popular with the Norsemen. It was they who "borrowed" it from the Gauls they conquered, as they swept through on their long march from Scandinavia to their home in Normandy. According to a 2020 study, those with the surname are more likely to have Viking ancestors.

The Normans brought the name to England, where it replaced the name "Hroðgar" (Old Norse: Hróarr). The name of a legendary Danish king, living in the early 6th century mentioned in Beowulf, Widsith, and also in Norse sagas.

From the Old Norse, Hroð-geirr; from the Danish, Roedeger, Rodgers; from the Flemish, Roger; from the French, Rogier; from the German, Roger; from the Latin, Rodegerus, Rodeghiero; in the Domesday Book, Roger.

It was introduced to Ireland when the Anglo-Normans invaded in the 1170s and then later in the Cromwellian invasions. However, many occurrences of it in Ireland represent an Anglicisation of Mac Ruaidhrí and Mac Ruairí in the newer and current standard spelling.

The surname Rodgers was first found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 as Adam filius Rogeri in Lincolnshire; and Robert filius Rogeri in Norfolk. Kirby's Quest of Somerset listed Waltero Rogero in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of Edward III's reign.) Over 100 years later, the name had evolved from the early Latin versions that held either the vowel "i" or "o" to the more recent spellings we understand today. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Willelmus Rogerson and as a personal name Rogerus Smyth.

The name was "rare or absent in England north of a line drawn from the River Humber to the River Mersey. Scattered over the rest of England and also Wales, but generally infrequent in the eastern counties, being by far the most numerous in the western half of its area. It is most common in Herefordshire and Shropshire, and also in Cornwall." This author continues "Rodger is the Scotch form, it has no definite distribution. In England we only find it occasionally, as in the case of Rodgers in Derbyshire."

From this vantage, we explored the aforementioned "Scotch" (Scottish) origin further. In this case, many of the records were recorded in the Anglo-Saxon or English version rather than the previous entries that had the Latin form. "Roger was appointed abbot of Dryburgh in 1152. Roger, son of Oggou, attested a deed of middle of thirteenth century. William Roger was tenant of the abbot of Coupar-Angus in 1468." Black continues "Rodgers is the more common form with Scots. Rogers, in some parts of central Scotland, is pronounced Rodgie, and some Gaelic-speaking people in Perthshire pronounce it Rougie and sometimes Royger. John Rodgers, born in Maryland, 1771, son of a Scots colonel of militia, fired with his own hand the first shot in the war with Great Britain in 1812."

"The family of Rogers of Home, in Shropshire, are a cadet of the Norburys of Norbury in that county. In 7. Edward II., (seventh year of Edward II's reign) Roger de Norbury, son of Philip, and grandson of Roger de Norbury, had a grant of the estate of Home. His son took the name of Rogers, and his posterity under that appellation have ever since resided at Home."

Roger of Salisbury (died 1139), "also called Roger the Great, bishop of Salisbury and justiciar, was of humble origin, and originally priest of a little chapel near Caen. The future king, Henry I, chanced, while riding out from Caen, to turn aside to this chapel to hear mass. Roger, guessing the temper of his audience, went through the service with such speed that they declared him the very man for a soldier's chaplain, and Henry took him into his service."

Surname

 * Aaron Rodgers (born 1983), American football player
 * Alan Rodgers (1959–2014), American science fiction and horror writer, editor, and poet
 * Amari Rodgers (born 1999), American football player
 * Amy Rodgers (born 2000), English professional footballer
 * Andre Rodgers (1934–2004), American professional baseball player
 * Andrew Rodgers (1827–1922), American colonel and politician
 * Andrew Denny Rodgers, III (1900–1981), American lawyer and botanist
 * Andy Rodgers (born 1983), Scottish footballer
 * Andy Rodgers (musician) (1922–2004), American Delta blues harmonicist, guitarist, singer and songwriter
 * Anton Rodgers (1933–2007), British actor and director
 * Bertram J. Rodgers (1894–1983), American vice admiral
 * Bill Rodgers, several people
 * Brendan Rodgers, multiple people
 * Buck Rodgers (born 1938), American baseball player and manager
 * Calbraith Perry Rodgers (1879–1912), American aviation pioneer
 * Carolyn Rodgers (born 1940), American writer
 * Cathy McMorris Rodgers (born 1969), American politician
 * Chris Rodgers (born 1976), English professional golfer
 * Christopher Raymond Perry Rodgers (1819–1892), American admiral
 * Clodagh Rodgers (born 1947), Northern Ireland singer and actress
 * Daniel T. Rodgers (born about 1932), American historian and emeritus
 * Dave Rodgers (Giancarlo Pasquini, born 1963), Italian songwriter, composer, and producer
 * David H. Rodgers (1923–2017), American politician
 * Del Rodgers (born 1960), American professional football player
 * Denny Rodgers (born 1968), Canadian politician
 * Derrick Rodgers (born 1971), American professional football player
 * Eileen Rodgers (1930–2003), American singer and Broadway performer
 * Eleazar Rodgers (born 1985), South African footballer
 * Emily Rodgers (born 1980), American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
 * Francis Silas Rodgers (1841–1911), American cotton merchant of Charleston, South Carolina
 * Francois Rodgers (born 1961), South African politician
 * Frank E. Rodgers (1909–2000), American politician
 * Frederick Rodgers (1842–1917), American admiral
 * Gaby Rodgers (born 1928), German-born American actress, theater director, and journalist
 * Gage Rodgers (born 2003), American professional stock car racing driver
 * George Rodgers, several people
 * Guy Rodgers (1935–2001), American professional basketball player
 * Harvey Rodgers (born 1996), English professional footballer
 * Ilona Rodgers (born 1942), British actress and television presenter
 * Ira Rodgers (1895–1963), American football, basketball, baseball, and golf player and coach
 * Isaiah Rodgers (born 1997), American football player
 * Jacquizz Rodgers (born 1990), of the Atlanta Falcons
 * Jake Rodgers (born 1991), American professional football player
 * James O. Rodgers (1874–1945), American football player and coach
 * James W. Rodgers (1910–1960), American criminal executed by firing squad in Utah
 * Jameson Rodgers (born 1987), American country music singer and songwriter
 * Jennifer Rodgers (born 1970/1971), American attorney and legal analyst
 * Jimmie Rodgers (country singer) (1897–1933), American country singer
 * Jimmie Rodgers (pop singer) (1933–2021), American pop singer
 * Jimmy Rodgers (basketball) (born 1943), American basketball coach
 * John Rodgers, several people
 * John S. Rodgers (born 1965), American politician
 * Johnny Rodgers (born 1951), American football player
 * Jordan Rodgers (born 1988), American football player; brother of Aaron
 * Joseph Lee Rodgers (born 1953), American psychologist
 * Judy Rodgers (1956–2013), American chef, restaurateur, and cookery book writer
 * Kevin Rodgers, several people
 * Kordell Rodgers (born 1998), American professional football player
 * Lorraine Rodgers (1921–2018), American pilot, first American woman to fly in World War II
 * Luke Rodgers (born 1982), English footballer (soccer player)
 * Marion Rodgers (1921–2017), American military pilot, Tuskegee Airmen
 * Marion Elizabeth Rodgers, American author and scholar
 * Mary Rodgers (1931–2014), American composer and author of children's books, daughter of Richard Rodgers
 * Matt Rodgers (born 1969), American professional football player
 * Michael Rodgers, several people
 * Mighty Mo Rodgers (born 1942), American blues musician and record producer
 * Mike Rodgers (born 1985), American professional track and field sprinter
 * Moses Rodgers (c. 1835–1900), American mining enginner
 * Nguyễn Rodgers (born 1981), Kenyan footballer
 * Nigel Rodgers (born 1952), British writer and campaigner
 * Nile Rodgers (born 1952), American bassist and producer
 * Norman Rodgers (1927–2023), American politician
 * Norman Rodgers (footballer) (1891–1947), English footballer
 * Patrick Rodgers (born 1992), American professional golfer
 * Patsy Rodgers, English Calgary Stampede queen
 * Patsy Dan Rodgers (1944–2018), Irish painter, musician, and the King of Tory
 * Paul Rodgers (born 1949), British singer-songwriter
 * Pepper Rodgers (1931–2020), American football player and coach
 * Philip Rodgers (1891–1966), English professional golfer
 * Raymond P. Rodgers (1849–1925), American admiral
 * Rebecca Rodgers (born 2000), American curler
 * Richard Rodgers (1902–1979), American composer
 * Richard Rodgers II, American football tight end
 * Richard Rodgers Sr. (born 1961), American football coach and former player
 * Samuel Rodgers (1894–1970), Irish politician
 * Samuel R. Rodgers (1798–1866), American attorney, judge and politician
 * Silvia Rodgers (1928–2006), German-British writer and political activist
 * Sondra Rodgers (1903–1997), American actress
 * Sonny Rodgers (1939–1990), American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter
 * Sugar Rodgers (born 1989), American basketball player
 * Terry Rodgers (born 1947), American artist
 * Thomas S. Rodgers (1858–1931), United States Navy admiral
 * Thurman D. Rodgers (1934–2022), American army lieutenant general
 * Travis Rodgers, American sports talk radio personality
 * Violet Rodgers (1914–1978), British museum curator
 * Will Rodgers (born 1994), American professional stock car racing driver
 * William Rodgers, several people
 * T. J. Rodgers (born 1948), American businessman
 * Thelma Rodgers, Antarctic scientist from New Zealand
 * Thomas Malin Rodgers (1943–2012), puzzle collector and founder of Gathering 4 Gardner
 * W. R. Rodgers (1909–1969), known as "Bertie" Rogers, Northern Ireland poet
 * William Ledyard Rodgers (1860–1944), American admiral
 * Woodall Rodgers (1890–1961), American attorney, businessman, and mayor of Dallas

Given name

 * Rodgers Grant (1935–2012), American jazz pianist, composer, and lyricist
 * Rodgers Kola (born 1989), Zambian footballer
 * Rodgers Rop (born 1976), long-distance runner from Kenya
 * Rodgers Kamota (born 2002), Zimbabwean game developer, hobbyist guitarist

title: Rodgers


text:
Muhsin Musa Matwalli Atwah

Muhsin Musa Matwalli Atwah (محسن موسى متولي عطوة) (June 19, 1964 – April 12, 2006) was an Egyptian national wanted by the United States government.

Also known as Abdul Rahman, Abu Abdul Rahman al-Muhajir, Abdel Rahman, Abu Turab, Ibrahim al-Muhajir al-Masri, and Mohammed K.A. al-Namer, he was wanted by the United States government in connection to the August 7, 1998 American embassy bombings in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya. Atwah built both of the bombs used in the attacks. For his role in the attacks, he was indicted in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Consequently, on October 10, 2001, Atwah was placed on the initial list of the FBI's top 22 Most Wanted Terrorists, which was released to the public by President Bush. Atwah had been a member of al-Qaeda since at least 1990 and provided explosives training in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sudan, according to his indictment. The indictment also charged that Atwah had been part of an al Qaeda cell operating in Somalia in the early 1990s that provided training to Somali tribesmen who attacked U.S. forces in that country. By early 2006, he was suspected as a key supplier of arms to terrorists battling Pakistani forces in North and South Waziristan.

On April 12, 2006, Atwah was reported by an anonymous Pakistani Cabinet minister to have been killed along with six other militants, by Pakistani forces in a helicopter gunship raid on the village of Naghar Kalai near the Afghan border. Villagers reported that armed men removed the bodies. Atwah's death was confirmed by US officials on October 24, 2006, following DNA testing. His profile was then removed from the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists website.

title: Muhsin Musa Matwalli Atwah


text:
Aermacchi AM.3

The Aermacchi AM.3 was the result of a joint venture between Aermacchi and Aeritalia (then Aerfer Industrie Aerospaziali Meridionali) in response to an Italian Army requirement for an aircraft to replace the Cessna L-19, and was initially designated the MB-335.

Design and development

The AM.3 used the wing design of the Aermacchi AL-60 utility aircraft, strengthened to incorporate two hardpoints. The fuselage was a new design. The first prototype, constructed by Aermacchi, flew on 12 May 1967, and it was displayed at the Paris air show in June that year. The second prototype, constructed by AERFER, flew on 22 August 1968, but the aircraft lost the Italian Army contract to the SIAI Marchetti SM.1019. Nevertheless, Aeritalia continued development.

The third prototype used a more powerful Piaggio-built Lycoming GSO-480-B1B6 in place of the original Continental GTSIO-520-C, and this variant was designated AM.3C

Pilot and observer are accommodated in tandem positions, and the craft features dual controls. Aft space is utilitarian, providing space for two stretchers or seat space for additional passengers. Additional configurations include freight transport.

Armament configurations are diverse, as well. Two standard underwing pylons were able to carry 170 kg (375 lb) of stores each. Typical armament includes machine guns, rockets, bombs and missiles. Reconnaissance packs could be fitted to, or inside of, the fuselage. Additional pylons were often added by customers.

Bosbok
In September 1970, the South African Air Force ordered 40 AM.3Cs, designating the aircraft the AM.3CM Bosbok (Bush-buck). The first aircraft was taken on charge in March 1973, with deliveries continuing until December 1975, equipping 41 Squadron and 42 Squadron.

The Bosbok saw extensive action during the South African military operations in Angola between 1975 and 1989, during which it wore an olive-drab/dark earth camouflage instead of the light-grey paint scheme in which it was delivered.

The SAAF's Bosboks had four underwing hardpoints from which a variety of ordnance could be hung, including machine-gun pods, light bombs, and smoke-rocket pods. Each of the two inner hardpoints was stressed for a 170 kg (375 lb) load, with the two outer points being stressed for a 91 kg (200 lb) load.

Roles performed by the Bosbok in SAAF service include:
 * Forward air control
 * Radio relay (referred to as "Telstar duty" by the SAAF)
 * Target marking (using smoke-rockets)
 * Reconnaissance/observation (including artillery spotting)
 * Casevac
 * Liaison

The Bosbok really excelled in the dangerous role of target-marking, in which it used this technique - the aircraft would approach the target at tree-top height, pull up to around 92 m (300 ft) when nearly overhead the target, line up the nose on the target, and release the rockets, before quickly turning away and diving back to tree-top level to avoid ground fire.

Using this method, a Bosbok was once credited with destroying an entire 37 mm anti-aircraft gun position with a lucky direct hit from one of its smoke marker rockets.

Following the end of South Africa's involvement in the Angolan War in 1989 and the subsequent downsizing of the SAAF, the Bosbok was retired from service in 1992.

Operators

 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * Italian Army (20)
 * 🇷🇼 Rwanda
 * Rwandan Air Force (3)
 * 🇿🇦 South Africa
 * South African Air Force (40)
 * 41 Squadron SAAF
 * 42 Squadron SAAF
 * 🇺🇸 United States
 * National Test Pilot School (1)

title: Aermacchi AM.3


text:
Washingtonian movement

The Washingtonian movement (Washingtonians, Washingtonian Temperance Society or Washingtonian Total Abstinence Society) was a 19th-century temperance fellowship founded on Thursday, April 2, 1840, by six alcoholics (William K. Mitchell, John F. Hoss, David Anderson, George Steers, James McCurley, and Archibald Campbell) at Chase's Tavern on Liberty Street in Baltimore, Maryland.

The idea was that by relying on each other, sharing their alcoholic experiences, and creating an atmosphere of conviviality, they could keep each other sober. Total abstinence from alcohol (teetotalism) was their goal. The group taught sobriety and preceded Alcoholics Anonymous by almost a century. Members sought out other "drunkards" (the term alcoholic had not yet been created), told them their experiences with excessive alcohol use, and how the Society had helped them achieve sobriety. With the passage of time the Society became a prohibitionist organization in that it promoted the legal and mandatory prohibition of alcoholic beverages. The Society was the inspiration for Timothy Shay Arthur's Six Nights with the Washingtonians and his Ten Nights in a Bar-Room.

The Washingtonians differed from other organizations in the temperance movement in that they focused on the individual alcoholic rather than on society's greater relationship with liquor. In the mid-19th century, a temperance movement was in full sway across the United States and temperance workers advanced their anti-alcohol views on every front. Public temperance meetings were frequent and the main thread was prohibition of alcohol and pledges of sobriety to be made by the individual.

Concurrent with this movement, a loose network of facilities both public and private offered treatment to drunkards. Referred to as inebriate asylums and reformatory homes, they included the New York State Inebriate Asylum, The Inebriate Home of Long Island, N.Y., the Home for Incurables in San Francisco, the Franklin Reformatory Home in Philadelphia and the Washingtonian Homes which opened in Boston and Chicago in 1857.

Washingtonians at their peak numbered in the tens of thousands, possibly as high as 600,000. However, in the space of just a few years, this society almost disappeared because they became fragmented in their primary purpose, becoming involved with all manner of controversial social reforms including prohibition, sectarian religion, politics and abolition of slavery. It is believed that Abraham Lincoln attended and spoke at one of the great revivals, presumably not for treatment, but out of interest in various issues being discussed.

The Washingtonians drifted away from their initial purpose of helping the individual alcoholic, and disagreements, infighting, and controversies over prohibition eventually destroyed the group. The Washingtonians became so thoroughly extinct that, some 70 years later in 1935 when William Griffith Wilson ("Bill") and Dr. Robert Smith ("Dr. Bob") joined together in forming Alcoholics Anonymous, neither of them had ever heard of the Washingtonians. Although comparisons are made between the Washingtonians and Alcoholics Anonymous, in some respects they have more in common with modern secular drug addiction recovery groups. The Washingtonians were so non-religious and non-spiritual that religious critics accused them of humanism heresy, i.e., in their terms, of "placing their own power above the power of God".

Notable people

 * Esther Lord McNeill (1812-1907), temperance leader

title: Washingtonian movement