Scotch College

Doug Ackerly on cricket assignment in India

A reinvented Scotch cricketer has taken on a major cricket communications role in India.

WORDS: Mr David Ashton

Doug Ackerly (‘67) has been in Bangalore producing and writing India’s first official cricket coaching manual. The assignment came about through an association with Dav Whatmore, who is now director, operations of the National Cricket Academy there.

Doug and Dav have known each other for 35 years, and Doug ghosted Whatmore’s autobiography. The former Australian batsman had been overlooked for the India and Pakistan coaching jobs after a long career coaching Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Doug landed at the NCA in November 2007, but found that India did not have an instructional manual, which he considered a priority. A freelance sports writer for The Age, Doug had written Dav’s book, and Dav also knew that he was a level two coach with Cricket Australia. The fit seemed right.

Things sometimes move slowly on the subcontinent, but Doug arrived in January and set about a communications role which included media liaison and developing the NCA website. More than 10,500 frames were taken in four photo shoots with a motordrive camera for the skills sequences, and the text.

The manuel is now complete, and 4,000 copies have been printed. It is 128 pages in length and contains 269 photos and 37 diagrams.

Doug admits to a lacklustre career at Scotch where he spent time in the 4th XI in his final year. But, after reinventing himself as a wicketkeeper, he played 2nd XI Premier cricket for Northcote, once opening the batting for them on the MCG! He captained the 3rd XI at North Melbourne and Dandenong 15 years apart, and played league cricket in Lancashire in 1980 and 1992. He was playing coach of Congupna in A grade of the Shepparton Cricket Association in 1986–87.

He also accompanied other Scotch alumni, Peter Ashton (’67), Geoff Courtis (’67) and David (’67) and Derek Leong (’68) in a touring party to England in 1977.

All of this, he assures us, would have shocked Percy Provan and Bats Campbell who were among his many unsuccessful mentors at Scotch! But, actually writing a cricket manual is not as far-fetched, given that Doug was dux of English under Gunner Owen in 1967. GS

Kuala Lumpur

Hong Kong skyline