Australian Cricket Hall of Fame honour recognises trailblazing career

“I’m proud of Australian cricket because I see us being leaders in so many ways. We were the first major sport in Australia to implement our Trans inclusion policy for both community and elite cricket, and then other major sports followed us. So I’m really proud of that and seeing the impact of that inclusion at a community level.”

Blackwell’s numbers match those of everyone else in the game, save for the rarefied air occupied by the trio of Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry who defined the era of uninterrupted brilliance that emerged after double disappointments at the 2016 T20 World Cup and then the 2017 50-over edition.

In the semi-final of the second event, Blackwell hit his best shot; She covered 90 off 56 balls at the back and, with the help of No. 11 Kristen Beams, gave Australia a chance to match India’s huge total.

“One of my favorite things [my twin] Kate and I were at Ashes cricket together on both sides of the field. And it was so nice to share that with your twin. “It was frustrating because we stopped everything and caught everything, we loved it so much.”

Alex Blackwell

Blackwell, as internal vice-captain, had strong views that the new leadership duo of Lanning and Matthew Mott had work to do to improve the team’s ability to get back on its feet. Mott later acknowledged this fact, but was at odds with Blackwell at the time.

“That was the best shot I’ve ever thrown and I worked hard over the two to three years leading up to it to find more in my game,” Blackwell said. “That day I found it, it was the plan I was looking for and I delivered it, but the heartbreaking thing was that it wasn’t good enough for the miracle.

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“It was great to see the team respond after that bad run and those defeats and we went through a period of dominance where the Australian team wasn’t that interesting to watch because they won so much. When we think about world cricket, the Australian team has never been better, but other teams have gotten better too and the competition is fantastic.”

That’s why Blackwell isn’t upset that Australia came up short in the last two World Cups in the UAE and India. He sees these results as evidence that other nations, particularly India and South Africa, are upping their game. At the same time, the global T20 environment has opened up a year-round pathway for women to improve their game and pay; Blackwell is happy to see Lanning accepts this with pleasure.

Now 42, a mother, genetic counselor, coach and commentator at the University of Sydney cricket club, Blackwell still contributes richly to the game. He says the Hall of Fame honor applies not only to himself but also to his twin sister, Kate, with whom he shares places on numerous Australian teams, including in close-field duties where they enjoy getting into mischief.

“What I’m most proud of is playing together for Australia under the management of our hero, Belinda Clark,” Blackwell said. “My career can sometimes overshadow what he did, but for everyone who represented Australia for four years and he was part of that change, the first T20 international, he was just as talented.

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“One of my favorite things was Kate and I playing together at both ends of the field in Ashes cricket. And it was lovely to share that with your twin. It was nerve-wracking because we stopped everything and caught everything, we loved it. You didn’t even have to sledge, you’d just talk over the batting… it was a good time.”

Clark was the first woman hired in 2014 and was on the panel that selected Blackwell last year. They are part of a sisterhood that brought the women’s game to the forefront of cricket, slowly at first, before the revolutionary progress made in Blackwell’s time.

“I’ve had a cup of coffee a few times now [former captains] Muriel Picton and Miriam Knee,” Blackwell said. “It’s wonderful to talk to them and see through their eyes what the play looks like now as opposed to then.

“No matter what era you’re in, it’s such a joy. Now Miriam, Muriel and I can sit back and watch a lot of cricket on TV and it’s great. Knowing that we’re each part of the stepping stones of the game. It really makes us feel like we’re an equal part of everything now.”

Alex Blackwell

12 Tests, 444 runs at 22.2, four 50s

144 ODIs, 3,492 runs in 36 overs, three 100s, 25 50s

95 T20Is, 1,314 runs at 21.19, one 50