Tim Caldwell

Former Australian Cricket Board chairman Tim Caldwell died in Orange, NSW on June 17 at the age of 80. He succeeded Sir Donald Bradman in the chair in 1972 and helped establish the administration along several new lines, winning many new friends by his friendly approach. Queensland-born (Oct 29, 1913), Timothy Charles John Caldwell was a career banker, and played grade cricket for Northern District. In 1935-36 his 65 wickets (13.40) with offspin placed him top of Sydney's club aggregates and won him the first of three appearances for NSW, in which he took three wickets at 54. His debut was against his native State, at the Gabba, and he took 2 for 55 in Queensland's 528. He would joke in later years that he was the great O'Reilly's replacement, and was in no doubt that the way Hassett got after him at the MCG sent him back to grade cricket for keeps. After a distinguished war record (a BEM at Alamein), Tim Caldwell led Northern District to the grade premiership in 1948-49, having helped bring on two promising youngsters in Bill Alley and Alan Davidson. In his final year as ACB chairman he attended the special ICC meeting at Lord's, proud at having doubled Australian players' match fees, though unaware, like everyone else, that a financial revolution was only two years away. With unknowing prescience he said, with a gentle smile: "You mustn't stay in office till too great an age." He was made OBE for services to cricket. Bob Parish succeeded him in 1975.
Wisden Cricket Monthly