Melbourne: The true founding father of one-day cricket was not Kerry Packer but Dennis Lillee and Australians should thank the legendary pacer for creating ODIs, according to one of the original World Series Cricket directors.
World Series Cricket director Austin Robertson credits Lillee for creating the ODIs, but is surprised that Channel documentary Howzat! has removed him from history.
Howzat! producers launched a defence of their own, claiming that they had asked Lillee to contribute but the bowling superstar refused to because he wouldn`t get any money.
Robertson, who worked with the former Channel 9 star and the rebel team, also defended "the Big Fella", and said he was not the bully he was portrayed to be. Nor was the late batting star David Hookes the simpering and indecisive vacillator depicted in the show.
In a tell-all piece written exclusively for a leading daily, Robertson said Howzat! was great entertainment and brilliantly produced, but riddled with inaccuracies, News.com.au reports.
He said: "The producers made a nonsense of the way they treated the man really responsible for the whole thing - Dennis Lillee. Dennis was visible enough but he is not given the acknowledgement for having the idea in the first place, and his contribution in putting the entire thing together.
"Other people have put their hands up for having the brainchild of WSC but I am here to say that, without Lillee, it would never have happened at the time. Though Packer was determined to get the precious television rights, they would never have been delivered at that time without having the best fast bowler in the world in his corner.
"Curiously, the producers of the show, in the curtain-call of the program, in the segment ``Where are the main players today,`` Lillee was again overlooked. I had to ask myself, why did they do that? It was Lillee who delivered the players and, while it was great to be playing on the Packer team, without Lillee it would have never got off the ground."
Robertson also said he and Lillee had been approached, but declined to take part.
ANI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.