Robin Jackman facts for kids

Robin David Jackman (born August 13, 1945 – died December 25, 2020) was an English cricket player. He played in four Test matches and 15 One Day Internationals for the England cricket team. His career lasted from 1974 to 1983.

Jackman was a seam bowler, meaning he made the ball move sideways. He was also a useful tail-end batsman. This means he batted lower down the order. During his long first-class career, from 1966 to 1982, he took an amazing 1,402 wickets. He was part of the Surrey team that won the County Championship in 1971. He also played for teams in South Africa, like Western Province and Rhodesia.

Early Life and Cricket Dreams

Robin Jackman was born in Shimla, a hill town in northern India, on August 13, 1945. His father was a major in the army. In 1946, his family moved back to Britain.

When he was a child, Robin first wanted to be an actor. But his uncle, a comedy actor named Patrick Cargill, told him it was a very hard job to succeed in. Robin then decided, "I'll play cricket for Surrey and England instead!"

As a young player, Robin started as a batsman who could bowl off-spin. When he was 17, his father believed he could become a professional cricketer. Robin tried out for Surrey and joined them in 1964. It took him a couple of years to play for the main team. During this time, he changed his bowling style to become a seam bowler.

Robin was 5 feet 9 inches tall, which is quite short for a seam bowler. Some people thought he might struggle in top-level cricket. But Robin worked very hard to be the best he could be. He even spent winters practicing in South Africa to improve his skills.

Playing Career Highlights

Robin Jackman played his first major cricket match in 1966 against Cambridge University. He quickly took three wickets in one over. By 1968, he was a regular player for Surrey. He received a special award, a county cap, in 1970.

Within a few years, he became a key bowler for Surrey. He took 50 or more wickets for nine years in a row during the 1970s. He often did this on pitches that were not easy for bowlers. His batting skills also helped the team many times. He was known for his strong effort and his unique bowling style. He also had a very loud and dramatic way of appealing for wickets.

International Debut and Challenges

Robin played a few one-day international matches for England starting in 1974. However, other strong bowlers kept him from playing in Test matches. In 1980, it looked like he might finally get to play Test cricket. He took 121 wickets that season, more than any other bowler. Many people thought he deserved to be in the England Test team. He was even named one of Wisdens five Cricketers of the Year.

But the England selectors were unsure about picking a 35-year-old bowler for a tour to the West Indies in 1980-81. He was only put on a reserve list. It seemed his chance for Test cricket was gone.

However, a bowler named Bob Willis got injured, and Robin was called to join the team in Guyana. But the government of Guyana then stopped Robin from playing. This was because of his past connections with South Africa. At that time, South Africa had a system called Apartheid, which separated people based on race. This system caused many countries to stop playing sports with South Africa. Robin had played cricket in South Africa during some winters.

Robin had told the cricket board about his connections, but they said it would not be a problem. When the Guyanese government found out, they refused his visa. The England team said they would not play if Robin couldn't. So, the second Test match was cancelled.

Other Caribbean countries allowed the tour to continue. Robin finally played his first Test match for England in Bridgetown, Barbados. He took his first Test wicket by getting Gordon Greenidge out. He played in the last Test match of that series too. He then played two more Test matches against Pakistan a year later. Overall, he took 14 wickets in his four Test matches. He also went on an Ashes tour to Australia but only played in the one-day matches.

Later Career and Retirement

Robin Jackman's last seasons with Surrey were very successful. He helped the team reach the final of the NatWest Trophy in 1982. They won that match easily. After playing one more international match for England in February 1983, he announced his retirement. He had played just under 400 first-class matches. In these matches, he took 1,402 wickets. He also scored 17 half-centuries as a lower-order batsman. His highest score was 92 not out.

Life After Cricket

After retiring, Robin was offered a coaching job in South Africa. He and his wife moved there permanently. Later, Robin became a cricket commentator. For many people in South Africa, he was known as 'the voice of cricket'. He helped people understand the game as South Africa rejoined international sports after the Apartheid era.

In 2012, Robin had treatment for health issues with his vocal cords. His voice became a bit rougher, but he continued to commentate. He worked on various international cricket tournaments, including the Indian Premier League. Most of his work was for the South African TV channel SuperSport.

Cricket writer Colin Bateman said that few players made such a big impact on international cricket as Robin Jackman, even though his Test career was short. Bateman added that Robin was a "magnificent trier" and a great bowler. His England captain, Ian Botham, said Robin was a "captain's dream" because he always tried his best and bowled well. Botham felt Robin was unlucky not to play more Test matches because there were many good fast bowlers at the time.

The cricket writer Alan Gibson gave Robin the nickname "Shoreditch sparrow." However, Robin had no clear connection to the London area of Shoreditch.

Family Life

Robin Jackman met his wife, Yvonne, in South Africa in 1969. They got married in England and lived in Bisley, Surrey for many years. After Robin retired from cricket, they moved to South Africa for good. They had two daughters. Robin and Yvonne celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in November 2020.

Robin Jackman passed away at his home in Cape Town on December 25, 2020. He had been dealing with health complications.