Jeffrey Thomson

Born on August 16, 1950, Jeff Thomson was one of the most lethal bowlers to grace the cricket field. 

After picking 17 wickets in the first five First-Class fixtures for New South Wales (NSW), the Aussie earned a national call-up in the 1972-73 Test series against Pakistan. However, he returned wicket-less in his only appearance in the series and was dropped. 

The paceman's form in domestic cricket forced the selectors to recall him for Ashes 1974-75 edition. The fiery pacer emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the series with 33 scalps, including his career-best figures of 9/46. In the same series, the Sydney-born made his ODI debut as well. 

In the finals of the inaugural edition of the World Cup, Thomson nearly took the team home, with his contribution of 21 with the willow. 

The fast bowler collided with his teammate Alan Turner in a red-ball fixture against Pakistan in December 1976 and sustained a shoulder injury, which ruled him out for six months. 

In February 1978, the 71-year-old finished with 4/67 against West Indies, the best figure in his ODI career. 

The lack of form and injury concerns cut short Thomson's career, and he last featured in a baggy green in August 1985 against England. 

In 51 Test matches, the fiery pacer scalped 200 wickets while finishing with 55 scalps in 50 ODIs. 

Post-retirement, Thomson served as a bowling coach of the Queensland team and was often heard on the Radio during the 1997 Ashes series. 

As of July, 2022