Max Walker

For the actor, see Max Walker (actor).
Max Walker
Personal information
Full name Maxwell Henry Norman Walker
Born 12 September 1948
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium
Role Bowler,
International information
National side
  • Australia
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1968/69–1981/82 Victoria
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 34 17 135 41
Runs scored 586 79 2014 261
Batting average 19.53 9.87 15.49 15.35
100s/50s –/1 –/– –/3 –/–
Top score 78* 20 78* 31
Balls bowled 10094 1006 31647 2425
Wickets 138 20 499 52
Bowling average 27.47 27.30 26.47 25.28
5 wickets in innings 6 – 21 –
10 wickets in match – n/a 0 n/a
Best bowling 8/143 4/19 8/143 4/19
Catches/stumpings 12/– 6/– 49/– 9/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 17 June 2014

Maxwell Henry Norman Walker AM (born 12 September 1948) is a former Australian cricketer and VFL/AFL footballer. Formerly an architect, he currently works as a media commentator and motivational speaker and has diverse business interests.

Football career

As a student he worked at the MCG as a maintenance man and scoreboard operator and spent winter playing football and summer cricket. Eventually Walker's summer pursuits won out and he made his test debut in 1972, shortly after giving up his football career. Melbourne retained him on their senior list in 1973 but couldn't entice him back to play.

Cricket career

Walker then moved to cricket and played 70 first-class games for Victoria and 38 Tests for Australia, taking 138 wickets as a medium-fast bowler. He played in 29 ODI's between 1974 and 1981, including matches during World Series Cricket from 1977 to 1979. His strange bowling action, particularly the way he moved his feet, earned Walker the nickname of "Tangles" or "Tanglefoot".

Writing career

Max Walker is also the author of 14 books with his sales exceeding one million copies. This includes seven number-one best sellers. His first book, Tangles (written with Neil Phillipson), was published in 1976 while his 14th book Caps, Hats and Helmets came out in 2006.

Media career

Once he retired from cricket, Walker became a big celebrity on television and radio. He first appeared on radio, calling cricket for the ABC with Drew Morphett and Alan McGillvray. He was also part of the commercial radio cricket coverage run by 2UE and 3AK with his colleagues from Channel Nine and included Dennis Cometti and Ray Jordon. His first television appearances date back to 1982, where he was the cricket expert on Channel 7's World Of Sport. After moving to channel 9, he was also part of National Nine News Melbourne with Brian Naylor, reading sports reports on the nightly news. He appeared on The Sunday Footy Show as a panellist, and also hosted the Nine Network's Nine's Wide World of Sports program until it was cancelled in 1999. He was also a commentator for Channel Nine's cricket matches between 1986 and 1991.

Walker is also a writer and has written light hearted books including The Wit of Walker, How to Kiss a Crocodile and How to Puzzle a Python. At present he is prominent on the public speaking circuit and in 2005 made a rare TV appearance on the Nine Network's sports show Any Given Sunday, hosted by James Brayshaw, as well as ABC2's sports program Late Night Legends featuring highlights of the 1974/75 Ashes series in which Walker had a prominent role.

Walker has also been parodied by The Twelfth Man, on the 1994 album Wired World of Sports II. It follows Walker through a day at his job at the Nine Network in which he is involved in an assault on co-host Ken Sutcliffe in order to increase his chances of being included on the cricket commentary team. Also, there is a reference to Walker's book publishing when on the album Billy Birmingham (as Walker) remarks, "Have you got my latest book, Alligators and Arseholes? What about Dingoes and Dropkicks?" These were initial Walker Books

He is a supporter of the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League and the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League.

He also appears on one of the Australian Pensioners Insurance Agency's advertisements.

Honours

On 13 June 2011, Walker was named a Member of the Order of Australia for service to cricket at a national and international level as a player and commentator, and to the community through a range of youth and social welfare organisations.[1]

Personal life

Married to Kerry Walker, he has five children (three of them from a first marriage).

Walker is an avid collector of fountain pens and in fact uses one when writing the manuscripts for his books.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Max Walker AM". Australian Honours Database. Retrieved 13 June 2011.

External links