Trevor Gripper

Son of Rhodesian cricketer-turned-administrator Ray Gripper, Trevor's career ending mirrored his father's in a lot of ways. During his heyday, Ray was a composed batsman and leader of men who later on, became a staunch critic of the administration. A free thinker, Ray found opposition in his thoughts and actions, something that his son inherited duly from him. A solid opening batsman with a lot of grit in him, Trevor relied on the basic funda of blunting the bowlers to get his runs. He wasn't that pretty to watch as a batsman with more emphasis on leg-side strokeplay but was effective nonetheless. A fifty in his debut Test was a good beginning and an overseas century, his only one in Tests, also came soon but Trevor failed to kick on. Inconsistent form saw him being in and out of the side before the infamous rebel strike of 2004 ended his career. His father's reputation probably worked against Trevor's comeback and he shifted base to England, playing club cricket.

Written by Hariprasad Sadanandan