Robin Jackman

Robin Jackman

Personal information
Full name	Robin David Jackman
Born	13 August 1945 (1945-08-13) Simla, Punjab, British India
Nickname	Jackers
Batting style	Right-hand bat
Bowling style	Right-arm fast-medium
Career statistics
Competition	Tests	ODIs
Matches	4	15
Runs scored	42	54
Batting average	7.00	6.75
100s/50s	-/-	-/-
Top score	17	14
Balls bowled	1070	873
Wickets	14	19
Bowling average	31.78	31.47
5 wickets in innings	-	-
10 wickets in match	-	n/a
Best bowling	4/110	3/41
Catches/stumpings	-/-	4/-
Source: [1], 1 January 2006

Robin Jackman (born Robin David Jackman, 13 August 1945, Simla, Punjab, British India) is a former English cricketer, who played in four Tests and fifteen ODIs for England from 1974 to 1983. He was a seam bowler and useful tail-end batsman. During a first-class career lasting from 1966 to 1982, he took 1,402 wickets. He was a member of the Surrey side that won the County Championship in 1971, and also played for Western Province in South Africa in 1971-72, and for Rhodesia between 1972–73 and 1979-80.

Life and career

During England's 1980-1 tour of the West Indies, the Guyanese government revoked his visa because of his links with the then apartheid South Africa. Although the England party travelled to Guyana, they never made it out of the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown and the Second Test, due to be played at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), was cancelled. Cricket writer, Colin Bateman, commented that "few players have made a more dramatic impact on international cricket that Robin Jackman, although his actual playing career was brief and unspectacular". Bateman added "a magnificent trier with a theatrical appeal, Jackman was a fine county fast-medium bowler who finally had his England chance at [the age of] 35 when Bob Willis broke down in the West Indies in 1981".

The cricket writer, Alan Gibson, gave him the nickname of the "Shoreditch sparrow". However, Jackman had no obvious connection with Shoreditch.

He was one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1981, having taken 121 wickets in first-class matches the previous summer, 20 more than anyone else.

His appearance in Guyana was popular with English supporters and players, but not appreciated by the local politicians. Being married to a South African, Jackman had naturally made several visits to that, then outlawed, country, and was duly served a deportation order by the Guyanese authorities. The second Test was cancelled, with the whole tour hanging in the balance, until Jackman was accepted in the more politically relaxed state of Barbados. Jackman's whole cricketing existence was less noteworthy than this late career brouhaha.

Jackman is now a commentator on various international TV tournaments. Recently, he is among the commentary team for the Indian Premier League. He does most of his work for the South African based pay-television channel, SuperSport.

External links

• Cricinfo profile
• Wisden Cricketer of the Year article