Former Australia and Queensland wicketkeeper John McLean has died at the age of 80 after a long illness.
He represented Australia in four Tests and two One Day Internationals during the 1978–79 Ashes series.
During a tumultuous period in Australian cricket, he was given an opportunity at the international level when many leading players, including first-choice wicketkeeper Rod Marsh, were unavailable due to World Series cricket.
He made his first-class debut for Queensland in 1968 and soon established himself as one of the state’s best wicketkeepers.
In his first Sheffield Shield season, McLean broke Queensland’s record for most dismissals in a campaign, previously held by former Australia gloveman Wally Grout. He also recorded his highest first-class score of 156 in the same season.
His impressive performances saw him selected for the Australian development tour of New Zealand in 1969–70 alongside future stars Greg Chappell and Dennis Lillee.
However, McLean was overlooked for the inaugural Ashes Test of 1970–71, with Marsh selected as Australia’s wicketkeeper. He would not play for Australia again until the 1978–79 season, the final campaign of his first-class career.
McLean played a significant role in Queensland’s strong Sheffield Shield teams in the 1970s, helping them to four runners-up finishes in five seasons between 1973–74 and 1977–78.
He captained Queensland in 30 of his 86 Shield appearances before helping lure Chappell from South Australia.
He finished his first-class career with 385 runs which included 354 catches and 31 stumpings. His 314 dismissals for Queensland is the fourth-most for the state and the 11th-most in Sheffield Shield history.
MacLean was awarded an MBE in the 1980 Queen’s Birthday Honors in recognition of his services to cricket. He later served as vice-chairman of Queensland Cricket in 1990–91 before becoming president from 1992 to 1994.
McLean represented the players on the Australian Cricket Board and in 1998 was awarded a Queensland Cricket Life Membership.
Current Queensland cricket captain Kirsten Pike paid tribute to MacLean’s lasting impact on the game.
“As a player, he led from the front and after his passing the tributes from past teammates and the wider community emphasized his ‘team first’ leadership and his generosity,” Pike said.
“He played in an era that admired tough, dedicated players, gave their all on the field and enjoyed the camaraderie that followed the game, building lifelong friendships. He flew the flag for Queensland as a player, then as a coach, businessman and administrator.
“John was an enthusiastic contributor as a life member and enjoyed seeing the success Queensland enjoyed over the past 30 years. Our condolences go out to his family and many friends,” he added.