Cricinfo - Players and Officials

Full name Stephen John Rixon
Born February 25, 1954, Albury, New South Wales
Current age 54 years 225 days
Major teams Australia, New South Wales
Batting style Right-hand bat
Fielding position Wicketkeeper
Other Coach

Batting and fielding averages

Mat

Inns

Runs

Ave

100

Tests

394

18.76

ODIs

20*

13.33

40.81

First-class

151

221

4303

128

23.13

395

List A

434

14.96

Bowling averages

Mat

Inns

Balls

Runs

Wkts

BBI

BBM

Ave

Econ

Tests

ODIs

First-class

151

6.66

List A

Career statistics

Test debut

Australia v India at Brisbane, Dec 2-6, 1977 scorecard

Last Test

Australia v West Indies at Sydney, Dec 30, 1984 - Jan 2, 1985 scorecard

Test statistics

ODI debut

West Indies v Australia at St John's, Feb 22, 1978 scorecard

Last ODI

Australia v India at Sharjah, Mar 29, 1985 scorecard

ODI statistics

First-class span

1974/75 - 1987/88

List A span

1974/75 - 1986/87

A sound wicketkeeper and dependable lower-order batsman who entered the NSW team following the retirement of Brian Taber, Rixon was thrust into the spotlight when chosen for Australia against India and the West Indies in 1977-78 after Rodney Marsh and Richie Robinson were signed up for World Series Cricket. After being Marsh's understudy during the 1981 Ashes tour he received his next international opportunity when Marsh retired and Wayne Phillips was injured in 1984-85. He signed for a lucrative, but rebel, tour of South Africa in 1985-86 which ended his Test career. At the time of his retirement in 1988 he had played more games for New South Wales than anyone else.

After his retirement as a player, Rixon became coach of the New South Wales team in 1989-90. In his first five seasons the Blues reached the Sheffield Shield final on each occasion, winning three, and achieving the Shield/one-day cup double twice. From there he became the successful coach of the New Zealand team from late 1996 until the end of the England tour of 1999, after which he returned to Sydney to pursue his business interests.

But at the start of the 2000-01 series he returned as New South Wales's coach, and at the end of the 2003-04 summer, with his contract up, he moved to England to take charge at Surrey but that didn't work out and he left after two years with some stinging criticism of English cricket. He was subsequently linked with a series of international vacancies. He joined the Indian Cricket League before its second season and took over as coach of the Hyderabad Heroes from Moin Khan.
Rick Eyre February 2008

Jan 6, 2008

Steve Rixon portrait © Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

Apr 5, 2005

Steve Rixon talks to the press © Getty Images

May 17, 2004

Steve Rixon © Getty Images

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