Barry Shepherd

Barry Shepherd was a solid left-hand batsman who played nine Tests for Australia between 1962-63 and 1964-65, and although in 14 innings he never scored a hundred, he made five fifties and ended with an average of 41.83. He was unfortunate not to be picked for the 1964 tour of England, but such was the strength of Australia's batting at this time that his chances were limited. At state level he was a key member of the Western Australia side for more than a decade, captaining them 39 times, and although he did not play in a winning Sheffield Shield team, he was widely credited as being one of the architects behind the state's triumph in 1967-68 and the golden run of success that that victory helped to spark in subsequent decades. After his premature retirement at the age of 28 to pursue a career in the finance industry, he maintained his links with the game as an outstanding administrator, firstly in his home state as a member of the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA)'s Executive Committee. He assumed that role for the first time in 1979, thus beginning an off-field career in cricket that was to last for another 21 years. He was awarded Life Membership of the WACA in 1985 and, three years later, accepted a role as a Director at the Australian Cricket Board. He continued in that post for 12 years, serving on the Board's Executive, Umpires Appointments and Interstate Cricket committees.
Martin Williamson