by Mayukh Ghosh

The Australian Cricket Board didn't allow the families of cricketers to stay with them in England during the 1961 Ashes.
The manager and the captain were not the best of friends and there were divisions in the team management.
Colin McDonald decided to go against the board by keeping his family in England.
Alec Bedser arranged a hotel for them.
And a new car.
McDonald used it well. But he developed a sore wrist from changing the gears and was ruled out of the final two Tests of the series.
He never played again.

But, whenever asked, he did the job for his country.
According to Johnnie Moyes, McDonald faced the fastest ball he'd ever seen.
And it was he who made Fred Trueman use his nastiest expletives during the 1958-59 Ashes.
In the final innings of that series, Trueman reminded him: " Ah think ah should tell thee ah'm on 99 Test wickets."
"Well, Fred, I am on 468 runs for the series, so I'd like my 500th. And, anyway, you're a good enough bowler to get me out without me having to give it to you. Now piss off."
Trueman took his 100th wicket in New Zealand.

He was at his best when they came to India in 1959-60.
No, not with a bat in hand.
But as a peacemaker.
Australians weren't very happy with how things went outside the field of play.
Moreover, they thought, all umpires were inefficient.
It was McDonald who kept them calm by lecturing all through the tour: " Come on fellas, be nice to these people. We're all diplomats on this tour."
But even he got fed up during the final Test in Calcutta.

They had the Indian captain lbw twice, plumb, and he was given 'not out'.
Then Alan Davidson got him out bowled, with the offstump uprooted.
McDonald came running from the fine-leg boundary and kicked the remaining two stumps before saying: " That must have been bloody close!"

Quite seriously ill.
But he wants to visit England. One final time.

Colin McDonald was born on November 17, 1928.