In a light-hearted reflection, former Australian first-class pacer Greg Rowell, who is now a successful lawyer and a Cricket Australia administrator, recalled the 1991 Prime Minister’s XI match at Manuka Oval, a game that would forever be etched in his memory. Rowell, a 23-year-old on the cusp of breaking into the Australian team at the time, finished with impressive figures of 7 for 27 in that game, including the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Ravi Shastri.
But back then, Tendulkar wasn’t the global icon he would soon become. “Sachin Tendulkar wasn’t such a big name then; Ravi Shastri was,” Rowell recalled in a chat with Indian Express, remembering the days when the Indian batting legend was still establishing himself in international cricket.
Tendulkar, at just 18 years old, had yet to make a major mark in the Test arena. His breakthrough performances in the Perth and Sydney Tests would follow soon after, and Rowell admitted, “By the end of the series though, I would know who Tendulkar really was.”
Rowell’s memory takes one back to a time when the Prime Minister’s XI games were a major fixture in Australian cricket, offering young players an opportunity to showcase their skills on the national stage. These games were televised and attracted the attention of the entire country.
For players like Rowell, it was a chance to rub shoulders with established stars and put themselves in the spotlight. “It was a game where the country saw and judged you.”
The 1991 edition featured not just Rowell, but future Australian greats like Shane Warne, Damien Martin, Matthew Hayden, Michael Bevan, and a mulleted Damien Fleming, among others.
In that context, bowling to Tendulkar – a young talent who would soon rewrite the history books – was a memorable moment for Rowell. Little did Rowell know that the teenager he dismissed in 1991 would eventually become the most revered batter in the history of the game.
India take on PM’s XI
Fast forward to the present, and the tradition of the Prime Minister’s XI game continues. The current Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, recently met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ahead of their pink-ball practice game in Canberra.
In a playful exchange, Albanese remarked to Virat Kohli that his century in Perth had only increased the grief of the Australian team. Kohli, ever cheeky, responded, “Always gotta add some spice,” keeping the spirit of the rivalry alive.
This ongoing tradition, which dates back to 1951, when then-Prime Minister Robert Menzies arranged a game against the West Indies in Canberra.
