Full name Dean Mervyn Jones

Born March 24, 1961, Coburg, Melbourne, Victoria

Current age 48 years 111 days

Major teams Australia, Derbyshire, Durham, Victoria

Playing role Higher middle order batsman

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak

Other Coach, Commentator

Dean Jones wrote the book on one-day cricket - literally. He played a new game in which he walked down the pitch to fast bowlers, ran frenetically between wickets and turned outfielding into an attacking occupation. He was a natural showman who was for a while as popular as any other player in Australia. Yet he was also a classic cricketer who once made a triple-century for Victoria and remains their record run-maker. He averaged 46 in Tests, and in the tied Test at Madras in 1986-87 played what Bob Simpson said was the greatest innings for Australia. At the end of his 210 he ended up in hospital on a saline drip.

Jones was a significant part of the team's revival, playing in the '87 World Cup and '89 Ashes wins, but was dropped while still in his prime. Turbulent stints as captain of Victoria and Derbyshire followed, for his personality was bound not to please everyone. He remained devoted to the game and since retirement has been a forthright commentator, although he made a costly on-air slip in 2006 when he referred to the bearded Hashim Amla as a "terrorist".
Cricinfo staff July 2007

Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1990

Member of the Order of Australia, Jun 2006

Jun 1, 2009

Illustration for Dean Jones' Favourite Cricket Story

© Cricinfo Ltd

Feb 3, 2007

"So you're the one everyone's talking about, eh?" Allan Border and Dean Jones mess around with Darren Gough

© Getty Images

Dec 26, 2006

Dean Jones watches the action on a historic day on which Shane Warne became the first man to take 700 Test wickets

© Getty Images

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