Eric Freeman

A fine bowling all-rounder who couldn't reproduce his domestic form in national colors, Eric Freeman was the complete package during his prime. A power hitter who could bowl nagging medium pace and field incredibly well, he might have had a great living with T20 leagues in this modern era. However, the 1960s were a different kettle of fish and he couldn't quite set the ball rolling in international cricket. One of Freeman's major issues was that he wasn't a specialist in either of the two departments. He was an useful bowler but couldn't be a strike man while his batting despite being resourceful was always a bonus. Grit and determination is what helped him succeed on most occasions because he was never a super talented player by any means.

Freeman did have multiple skills though. He was associated with Australian Rules Football as a player for the Port Adelaide Football Club and had a really successful stint in that sport. The man from Adelaide had a First-class career that lasted nearly ten years while his international career was short lived, just a couple of seasons. He had a century in Shield cricket and seven five-wicket hauls but couldn't do either of them even once for Australia. Freeman could never really replicate his State performances in international cricket but there were still a few golden moments for him. He became the first batsman to open his Test career account with a six. Freeman also had four four-wicket hauls in his brief Australian career and a couple of fifties to show. After retirement, he became a popular commentator and statistician for both cricket and football till 2010 when he resigned.

By Hariprasad Sadanandan