Former Aussie pacer Max Walker passes away at 68

Former Australian pacer Max Walker has succumbed to his fight with cancer and lost his life at the age of 68. Walker was one of the lesser known players in the Australian squad due to his operations under the shadow of both Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thompson. He was also part of Kerry Packer’s breakaway group from 1977 to 1979 World Series Cricket.

James Sutherland, the CEO of Cricket Australia went on to release a statement regarding the same. The statement read that Max Walker was indeed one of the most prominent Australian players to ply his trade in the golden era of Australian cricket.

“Max was an outstanding cricketer who played an important role in the emergence of successful Australian cricket teams in the 1970s,” he said. “It was a golden era of Test Cricket under the captaincy of Ian and Greg Chappell, and Max’s medium fast bowling and his unmistakeable bowling action were a feature of those teams, and then in the late 1970s when he joined World Series Cricket.

“The cricket world will be deeply saddened to hear of Max’s sudden passing. As a cricketer, with ball or bat in hand, Max was always fiercely competitive. He was a genuine crowd favourite wherever he played – and nowhere more so than at his beloved MCG, where he had also played senior football prior to his Test debut.”

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Sutherland went on to speak about Walker’s persona off the cricket pitch. “Max was a positive and jovial character and devoted much of his life to playing and serving the game, during what many would call a revolutionary period for cricket,” he said. “At the completion of his playing career, Max charmed many on our TV screens as he built his career in the entertainment industry.

“Max’s contribution to the game was significant and at a time when cricket was undergoing significant changes, playing a critical role in World Series Cricket. A gentleman of his era, Max was able to be part of some moments that will be cherished forever in cricket history and will continue to inspire future generations.” He said.