Adam Gilchrist Biography

Adam Gilchrist is one of the greatest wicketkeepers to represent Australia in international cricket. Gilchrist played as opening batsman for the Australian cricket team. Across the globe, millions of fans liked him not only for his achievements in the game of cricket, but also for his style of batting and wicket-keeping. Let's know more about his life and achievements in the following Adam Gilchrist biography.

Adam Craig Gilchrist was born on November 14, 1971, in Bellingen, New South Wales, Australia. He did his schooling from Deniliquin Public School and Kadina High School. From an early age, his parents Stan and June Gilchrist always encouraged him to play cricket. During his school days, he actively played cricket and wanted to be a fast bowler. However, he was fascinated by the wicket-keeping gloves and went on to become one of the finest wicketkeepers in international cricket.

Gilchrist is married to his school sweetheart Melinda, a dietitian and they have three sons Harrison, Archie, and Ted and a daughter Anne Jean.

Adam Gilchrist replaced an injured Ian Healy as wicketkeeper in the Australian team and played his first One Day International (ODI) in the year 1996 against South Africa in Faridabad, India.

In that match, he took his first catch in international cricket when he dismissed Hansie Cronje for a duck. Gilly's position became firm in the home cricket squad because the Australian selectors decided to keep different teams for One-day and Test cricket.

In the year 1998, during the New Zealand tour, he achieved his highest average of 50 by any Australian batsman. In the same year, he made his test debut against Pakistan at Gabba in Brisbane. Here, not only did he play an excellent knock, but the hosts also won the Test and One-day series.

Adam Gilchrist is the first batsman to have scored 100 sixes in Test cricket. In 1999, he was one of the key players leading to Australia winning the World Cup. In the year 2001 Ashes series, Adam Gilchrist performed excellently, that led to the Australian team winning the series by 4-1.

Adam Gilchrist is also known as one of the finest all-rounders in the game of cricket. Many describe Gilchrist as the greatest wicketkeeper and One-day player. He is admired for his leadership qualities as well as the spirit in which he played the game. He scored 8585 runs in 257 matches in One Day International cricket, at an average rate of 35.26.

Gilly made 172 runs, his highest, in the ODI against Zimbabwe. In his international cricket career, he scored 17 test and 15 ODI centuries. He has also made 50 half-centuries. Gilly has 375 catches and 45 stumpings to his credit as a wicketkeeper. Gilchrist is the first player to have scored 1000 runs in Indian Premier League.

Gilchrist is the only wicketkeeper to have captained the Australian team for One Day and Test matches to-date, and has also led his side to many victories. He has an excellent strike rate, both in One Day as well as Test cricket. He made the second fastest century in the Australia vs England test match played in Perth in 2006.

Adam Gilchrist was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2002. He was also declared Australia's ODI Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004. In 2003, Gilly was awarded with the Allan Border Medal for excellent performances in Test and One-day cricket. In 2004, Gilchrist was named in the Richie Benaud's Greatest XI. He was also voted as the 9th Greatest All-rounder of the Century in the year 2007.

In the year 2012, Gilchrist was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Gilchrist has been inducted into the prestigious ICC Hall of Fame in year 2013 and has become the 71st male member of the ICC Hall of Fame.

Adam Gilchrist retired from International cricket in March 2008, after breaking the world record for the highest dismissals by a wicketkeeper. Gilly played for Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 competition in India, as Team Captain. In 2009, after taking over the captaincy of Deccan Chargers from VVS Laxman, he led the team to win the IPL trophy in South Africa.

Gilchrist believes in charity, and he is the ambassador of World Vision in India. Through this charity, he sponsors a young, fatherless boy, named Mangesh, living in an urban slum in Chennai, India. In the Indian Premier League (IPL) season, Adam Gilchrist aimed to hit 25 sixes, so 25 physically challenged children would receive modified push bikes through the Amway's Freedom Wheels program.

Adam Gilchrist is one of the well-admired cricketers of his generation. After reading the biography of Adam Gilchrist, cricket fans will agree that the manner and the spirit in which he played the game of cricket was brilliant!