Gavin Robertson      

Full name Gavin Ron Robertson

Born May 28, 1966, Sydney, New South Wales

Current age 43 years 180 days

Major teams Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak

The term "roller-coaster career" would probably rarely be more applicable to a player in first-class cricket than Sydney-born offspinner Gavin Robertson. After initially fighting a losing campaign to gain full recognition from the New South Wales selectors, Robertson's career essentially took off in Tasmania, to where he relocated at the start of the 1989-90 season. It was there that he established for himself his reputation as an accurate finger-spinner with a penchant for bowling tightly over sustained periods. On Tasmania's generally batsman-friendly pitches, he never produced quite the rush of wickets for which he was truly hoping; what such surfaces did afford him the chance to do though was emphasise his determination and his complementary talents as a fine lower-order batsman. Following a return to New South Wales in 1991-92, the regular berth in the Blues' squad which had previously eluded him did ultimately beckon. This brought with it a string of further rewards for a time, including an appearance in two Mercantile Mutual Cup-winning sides and one triumphant Sheffield Shield team. It even resulted in call-ups to the national team for four Tests and a string of one-day international tournaments during the late 1990s. But, although his offspinning skills reflected incremental improvement, he continued to wage a tough battle to retain his spot in his state's first eleven for much of the period. All the while, a burgeoning career in the Sydney sporting media illustrated signs of filling the breach.
John Polack

Oct 20, 2000

Gavin Roberston - Portrait 2000

© Getty Images

Dec 2, 1999

Robertson fields a shot from Laxmann, New South Wales v Indians, 1999/2000

© Getty Images

1996

Gavin Robertson - Portrait

© New South Wales Cricket Association