Vale John Maclean

Maclean, who played four Tests for Australia and two One Day Internationals against England in 1978-79, passed away on Saturday at the age of 80.
 
He was made a Life Member of Queensland Cricket in 1998, recognising his many years of service to the game, including a stint as the Players’ Committee representative to the Australian Cricket Board, Vice-President of Queensland Cricket in 1990-91 and President of Queensland Cricket between 1992-94.
 
Holding engineering and economics degrees, he was highly regarded in Queensland business circles through his working life.
 
A State Primary Schools representative, he was a champion schoolboy athlete at Brisbane State High School, playing baseball, soccer and rugby union. Maclean played his club cricket for South Brisbane after making his first grade debut for Colts while still in his teens.
 
He had to bide his time behind Lew Cooper, completing his studies in the process, before he made his first class debut in 1968. His leadership credentials soon came to the fore and he went on to captain Queensland 30 times in an 86-game career through until 1979.
 
Notably, he stepped aside from the role while established as skipper to enable Greg Chappell to take on the captaincy after earlier playing a leading role to entice the star Australian batsman to shift to Queensland. 
 
In his first season, he broke Wally Grout’s Queensland record for most dismissals in a season, as well as hitting his career highest score of 156.
 
He played in Queensland teams that agonisingly finished second four times in the quest for their first Sheffield Shield, including three times in a row between 1973 and 1976. 
 
Widely regarded as one of Australia’s finest gloveman, his career coincided with that of Rod Marsh, with the pair enjoying a healthy friendship despite their on-field rivalry,
 
He toured New Zealand in 1969-70 with the Australian squad, playing seven first class matches on what was essentially a development tour, but his international career came to life nearly a decade later during a turbulent period for Australian cricket, as the ramifications from Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket impacted the game.
 
He played four Tests against England, with a highlight being his debut at the Gabba. With a new-look Australian line-up in dire straits at 6-26 in their first innings after winning the toss and batting, Maclean (33no) and Rodney Hogg (36) led a rearguard counter that got Australia into triple figures.
 
Maclean then showed why his reputation as a gloveman was so well regarded, pouching five catches in the England first innings and another in the second innings as the tourists completed a seven wicket win.
 
Maclean suffered an injury when he was struck in the face at training before the fourth Test in Sydney that hampered him the longer the match went on, and he did not play another Test after that series, retiring later in the year.
 
He also played two One Day Internationals against England in the series that followed the Ashes Test series.
 
Maclean was awarded an MBE in the 1980 Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to cricket.
 
He played 96 first class games for Queensland, taking 317 catches and 29 stumpings in an illustrious career that placed him prominently in the pantheon of great Queensland ‘keepers.
 
Queensland Cricket Chair Kirsten Pike invited the cricket community to acknowledge and celebrate Maclean’s significant contribution to the game in the State.
 
“As a player, he led from the front and the tributes from past teammates and the wider community since his passing have emphasised his ‘team first’ leadership as well as his generous nature.
 
“He played in an era that admired tough, dedicated players who gave their all n the field and then enjoyed the camaraderie that followed the game, building lfe-long friendships along the way. He flew the flag for Queensland in all he did, as a player and then as a coach, businessman and administrator.”

"John was a passionate contributor as a Life Member and enjoyed seeing the success that Queensland has enjoyed over the past 30 years. We share our condolences with his family and many friends," Pike said.

Image of John Maclean courtesy of The Courier-Mail.