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When he was playing, Sir Don Bradman was the idol of every young cricketer. But who was Bradman’s idol? That is a question which many people will find difficult to answer. Well, it was an Australian player named Johnny Taylor. He was not a very famous player, but for various reasons, he became Bradman’s boyhood hero.
After retiring from cricket, Sir Don Bradman wrote his autobiography, which he titled Farewell To Cricket. In the book, he has written that he watched his first Test match when he was a schoolboy. In 1921, his father took him to the Sydney Cricket Ground to see a match between Australia and England. That is where he saw Johnny Taylor in action.
Bradman writes, “In that Test match I was privileged to see Charlie McCartney in all his glory. He made a grand 170 runs. But my great favourite was Johnny Taylor. He was my boyhood hero. I remember the sinking feeling I had when Patsy Hendren caught him out for 32 off the bowling of J. W. Douglas.”
Why did Bradman admire Taylor?
Johnny Taylor, born in 1895 in Stanmore, New South Wales, played in 20 Tests, scored 997 runs at an average of 35.60, and had a top score of 108, which was his only Test century. His statistics are not extraordinary or in any way spectacular. So what was it about Taylor that the young Bradman admired?
When the school-going Bradman saw Taylor batting, he realized that after becoming an adult, he would be very much the same size as Taylor, who was short and compact in build. Because he was short, he could not convert good length balls into half volleys and hit them like the taller players could. Yet he improvised shots which kept the runs coming quickly and steadily.
Young Bradman liked the well-timed strokes that Taylor played and his shot selection. So the lad decided that he would try to be a player like Taylor. That was why Bradman developed a great liking for Johnny Taylor.
Bill O’Reilly ranked on top
Later in the book, Bradman has also written about his choice of the best batsmen and bowlers whom he had watched. He has written: “Many times in my life I have been asked who is the best bowler you have ever played against? My answer has always been Bill O’Reilly. I will go further and say that of all the batsmen who have played against Bill in his prime, not a single batter would disagree with me.”
This is high praise indeed from Bradman since the two of them, O’Reilly and Bradman, were not on cordial terms. The famous leg spinner, along with teammate Jack Fingleton, was often critical of Bradman’s ways of leading the team and approach to the game.
Bradman’s choice of batsmen
Among batsmen, he has named Wally Hammond, Sir Jack Hobbs, Dennis Compton, and Len Hutton from England. According to Bradman, all these players were batsmen of immense talent. Among his teammates, Bradman has picked Stan McCabe as the best. It may be recalled that during the Bodyline series, it was McCabe who plundered the most runs. Even more than Bradman himself.
Like Bradman, McCabe too was a short, stocky right-handed batsman. He was described by Wisden as “one of Australia’s most enterprising batsmen.” He was never dropped from the Australian Test team and was known for his footwork, his ability to dominate the fast bowlers and use the hook shot very effectively against bodyline tactics.
On the last page, Bradman has written: “During my career, I was privileged to give the game my interpretation of its character in the same way as a pianist may interpret the works of Beethoven. Without doubt, the game of cricket and its conduct are a great example to the world. I trust that this may forever be a beacon to guide man’s footsteps to happier days.”
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