In light of Moises Henriques’s test debut, it’s good to look at a test team reflecting some of the cultural diversity of contemporary Australia Here is a team in batting order of Australian test players, with non Anglo, Celtic surnames.
Hilditch, Katich, Langer, Kwahwaja, Henriques, Zoehrer, Bichel, Krezja, Kasprowicz, Hilfenhuas, Pascoe, ( Durtanovich) 12 th man Weiner.
Who is missing? Ebeling, Hartkopf, Nothling, amongst some of the names who are absent. Now who should/shouldn’t be in the side. Over to Almanckers for feedback.
Glen!
That side looks a batsman short. I’d say ‘Boof’ Lehmann’s 25,000 first-class runs and Lutheran ancestry deserve a spot.
While possessing Anglo-Celtic surnames, Dav(enell) Whatmore (Sri Lanka) and Sam Morris (West Indies) deserve consideration due to their backgrounds.
Good work Glen.
I would add Mike Veletta to the squad.
Also Michael Bevan, like Whatmore, is part Sri Lankan.
I never felt Veletta delivered at test level; highest score 37. Good one dyer, perennial tourist, but struggled at test level.
Sam Morris; when did he play ?
Nathan Haurit is another worthy of consideration.
Glen!
After watching Dean Headley at Old Trafford expose Bevan’s flaws at Test level (no idea with the short ball) , I’d prefer to leave him out.
Glen,
Sam Morris played in the 1880s. Played one Test against England in 1885.
I just thought of a very obvious and famous Australian cricket name which we’ve all missed – Benaud.
Krezja, Hauritz and Hartkopf just got the spinner’s spot taken from under them by a canny Gaul.
Agreed re Veletta, but would love to see an Italian in there!
If the side is based purely on surname, then I think Kepler Wessels and Carl Rackerman deserve consideration.
Is Hilditch non-Anglo? I’d prefer Julian Weiner as opener anyway. I guess you have to chose a wicket keeper who has played for Australia over a shield keeper but Zoehrer never impressed me and Michael Dimattina did. A possible compromise might be Graham Manou who played one test for Australia and can’t possibly be of solely Anglo background with a surname like that.
Germans don’t count.
Andrew Zeszers (probably spelt that wrong) the SA trundler played a ODI in the early 90’s. Hardly pressing for an all time multi-cultural eleven, though.
Simon O’Donnell has got Spanish blood – dating back to the 1580s or 1590s?
Looking at his bio, Zesers (Latvian) is the youngest player to take 100 first class wickets. Didn’t know that.! Retired at 23. Played two games for Australia at the ’87 World Cup in India.
PF, that’s true re Bevo. The Poms worked him out one year with the short stuff (was it ’97?). Having said that he was a fair player of spin. I also thought he had a v.good series against the Windies in 96/97, when Ambrose was deadly and Walsh handy,
Re SOD being Spanish, if Dips can draw that long bow, then surely we can now fully reveal the lineage of a handy cricketer you may have heard of…..
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/bradman-was-truly-the-don/story-e6frf0a0-1111113043410
Scuderi?
The real tricky one would be to come up with an Australian soccer team where at least one parent was born in Oz – not because it’s impossible but because so little is known about the players.
Another nice test might be to pick the best soccer, footy, rugby league cricket elevens. Players would have to have played up to state junior rep or senior football.
Soccer XI (in no particular order)
Katich
Dyson
Waugh
Waugh
Viv Richards (we could borrow him, please?)
Henriques (at a stab)
Gilchrist
Perry
Krejza
Pascoe
Thommo
No stabbing required, Henriques was indeed a decent soccer player.
Dave, i am of the impression Hilditch might be Deutsch in its origins. I stand to be proven wrong, as for a long time i considered Yallop to be a non-Anglo name, only to be informed it was Cornish. So there you go, but if some one could clarify the origins of Hilditch, we all benefit.
Glen!
Glen, I just did a google search for the Hilditch family. While the sources that I found are probably a bit dodgy (they are aimed at getting punters to spend money tracing their geneology) there can be little doubt that Hilditch is Anglo-Saxon (and I mean Anglo-Saxon, at least two sources suggested that the Hilditch family existed in England before the Norman Conquest) One source claimed that they lived in a village called Holdich in Norfolk during Anglo-Saxon times. Holdich no longer exists but was listed prior to 1700.
So, lets ditch the South Australian Anglo-Saxon opener for the Victorian Austrian Jewish opener who was a better batsman anyway.
Well done Dave, i’ll pay that. Unsure if Weiner was a better batsman, his highest test score was 93, made in Pakistan, in what turned out to be his final test. Maybe if his father in law was an ex-Australian captain his career might have gone longer.
Glen!
In light of The United Cup Tennis Final (which includes men and women on the same team) being held today at Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney, together with this article, it got me thinking of Australian Davis Cup and Australian Fed Cup teams of non Anglo surnames:
Here is the Australian Men’s Davis Cup Tennis Squad of Non-Anglo surnames:
Alex De Minaur
Nick Kyrgios
Mark Phillipousis
Thanasi Kokkinakis
Alexei Popyrin
Bernard Tomic
Jason Stoltenberg
Here is the Women’s Fed Cup Tennis Squad of Non-Anglo surnames:
Sam Stosur
Aijla Tomljanovic
Jelena Dokic
Alicia Molik
Daria Gavrilova
Jarmila Gajdosova
Arina Rodionova
These teams will play exhibition matches Davis Cup and Fed Cup matches against Davis Cup and Fed Cup United States squads of players with Non-Anglo surnames.
The venue will be Kooyong.
The after match meal will be served in the Kooyong Clubhouse.
Entertainment will be provided by the song “Tennis Court”, (2013) by Lorde.
Transport will be Chauffeur Service.
Let’s hope for a good game of tennis that promises to be ACE!
I forgot to mention Olivia Gadecki, who has been added to the Fed Cup squad of Non-Anglo surnames. Alicia Molik will be the Fed Cup captain and coach, when she’s not playing.
Wally Masur has been added to the Davis Cup squad of Non-Anglo surnames. He will be the Davis Cup captain and coach, when he’s not playing.
Hallo Anon.
Looking at non-Anglo surnames, please don’t forget the Celts. Just a few for starters. We had the two Macs, Peter McNamara and Paula McNamee. There’s also Rachel McQuillan who claimed at Olympic Bronze in 1992 @ Barcelona. More if required.
Slainte,
Glen!
Moin Anon, sorry about the typographical error. Paula McNamee is obviously Paul McNamee;seniors moment.
Whilst we’re on Celts, Chris O’Connell is a current Australian tennis player. I won’t say Cash is a Celtic name, but Pat Cash is a descendant of Irish born Bushranger Martin Cash.
Now to move across to mainland Europe, I’m wondering about Fred Stolle. Ist Stolle ein Deutscher name?
Glen!
Fair enough, Glen.
Getting back to this article, had you considered either Kepler Wessels (40 Tests for Australia, batting average 40, 6 centuries, 15 half centuries) and Phil Jacques (11 Tests batting average of 47, 3 centuries, 6 half centuries) as an opener ahead of Andrew Hilditch (18 Tests, batting average 31, 2 centuries, 6 half centuries)?
Obviously, as this article was originally written nearly 12 years ago, the likes of Marnus Labuschagne, Will Pucovski, Matthew Kuhnemann and Sam Konstas have since played Test cricket, with only Labuschagne performing consistently well enough to make this team.
I can also understand why Carl Rackemann and Darren Lehmann were overlooked for this team, compared to the records of the others selected for this team.
This is the revised team in batting order that I would have in January 2025 of Australian Test players with non Anglo Celtic surnames:
1. Kepler Wessels
2. Phil Jacques
3. Marnus Labuschagne
4. Justin Langer
5. Usman Khawaja (c)
6. Simon Katich
7. Tim Zoehrer (wk)
8. Jason Krezja
9. Michael Kaprowicz
10. Ben Hilfenhaus
11. Len Pascoe (Durtanovich)
12th man: Darren Lehmann
For team balance, although Langer, Katich and lately Khawaja have done well as Test openers, they have batted in other positions in the Australian Test batting line up.
Therefore, I thought that specialist Test openers in Wessels and Jacques should open the batting. As Marnus Labuschagne has done well at number 3, Langer was put at number 4. Khawaja and Katich were picked at numbers 5 and 6 to provide depth to the batting line up. You also need to have a better number 6 than Zoehrer.
Although Darren Lehmann made 5 centuries and 10 half centuries in 27 Tests with a batting average of 44.95, Langer had to stay in the team, as well as Khawaja and Katich in the middle order.
As far as the bowling was concerned, taking into account all the fast bowlers’ Test records, the ones I have selected had a superior bowling Test record to Andy Bichel.
This team will play an exhibition match against the best Australian Test team of Anglo-Saxon surnames.
The venue will be the MCG.
The game will be telecast live on SBS.
Entertainment will be provided by the song “C’mon Aussie C’mon”.
Let’s hope for a good game of cricket, where every player will hope to make a name for himself!
Getting back to Fred Stolle, when googling Stolle, there wasn’t Stolle itself but the Stoll surname comes from the Middle High German/Middle Low German word “stolle”, meaning a “support” or “frame.”
However as Stolle can be a German surname, it’s possible that Fred Stolle has German heritage.
The surname Stoll (not Stolle) can also be Jewish, from the Yiddish dialect stol, shtol, which means steel. Fred Stolle has no know Jewish heritage.
Stoll (not Stolle) can also be from Middle English stole, which means “stole”.
Danke Anon.
I do tend to differentiate the Celts from the Anglo-Saxons: we have some differences.
Your side looks good, and good point re Kepler Wessels . I probably didn’t consider Phil Jacques as he was early in his career when I wrote the piece.
Anon, maybe after your selected team plays the Anglo- Saxons, the victor can challenge the Celts.
Glen!
It’s been brought to my attention that Nathan Hauritz had a better Test record than Jason Krezja. More importantly, I would have neither of them in the starting eleven of my best team because of Richie Benaud’s superior Test record as a spinner
Adam Voges with 6 Test centuries and 5 Test half centuries and a Test batting average of 61.87, had to be selected in the best team in the middle order.
Paul Reiffel had to be included in this team because of his superior Test record.
Therefore, this is the amended team of the best Australian Test Cricket Eleven with Non Anglo surnames:
1. Justin Langer
2. Kepler Wessels
3. Marnus Labuschagne
4. Usman Khawaja
5. Simon Katich
6. Adam Voges
7. Richie Benaud (c)
8. Tim Zoehrer (wk)
9. Paul Reiffel
10. Michael Kasprowicz
11. Ben Hilfenhaus
I thought it would be fairer if this team played the second best team of Non-Anglo surnames of Australian Test cricketers because in all honesty, the above named team would get thrashed by the best team of of Australian Trst cricketers with Anglo-Saxon surnames.
As pointed out by others, the Hilditch surname is ineligible for this team.
Here is the Second Best Team of the Australian Test Cricket Eleven with Non-Anglo Surnames:
1. Phil Jacques (c)
2. Julien Wiener
3. Moises Henriques
4. Darren Lehmann
5. Sam Konstas
6. Mike Valletta (wk)
7. Andy Bichel
8. Jason Krezja
9. Nathan Hauritz
10. Matthew Kuhnemann
11. Carl Rackemann
Mike Valletta was needed as can be a wicket-keeper and to strengthen the batting, as there’s a bit of a tail.
Sam Konstas was selected at number 5 because both Jacques and Wiener are specialist Test openers and in the 2 Tests that Konstas has played as a Test opener, he really tried to get on with the game, so he’s capable of playing a Travis Head type of innings at number 5 in this team.
Both Langer and Lehmann can also provide coaching to their own teams.
These teams will play a match against each other at DXC Arena and Tiwi Oval in Darwin, which were the venues for the Multicultural Cricket Cup in 2024.
The Sponsor will be Study NT Northern Territory, who was the Sponsor of that Multicultural Cup.
The match will be televised live on SBS. Commentary will be provided by Harsha Bhogle and Sunil Gavaskar.
The winner of this match will challenge the Celts.
Let’s hope for a good game of cricket, where multiculturalism is the winner!
I forgot to mention that Isa Guha will do the interviews on the field after the match. She will also provide commentary for the Multicultural Exhibition match between the 2 best Australian Test Cricket Teams of Non-Anglo surnames.
Entertainment will be provided by the Australian musical group, Yothu Yindi.
Billy Birmingham (The Twelfth Man) will also provide entertainment for his parodies of cricket commentary. I’m sure he’ll find some witty lines for some of the surnames in both teams.
That’s why both teams don’t have a 12th man named, because Billy Birmingham records his name under The Twelfth Man!
It’s a shame that none of these Australian teams have players with surnames like Miandad or Hafeez, because The 12th Man would provide commentary to the effect “I Hurt Me Hand Dad!” (Miandad) and “Half His (Hafeez) Handmissing!”
Austen Tayshus (“Australiana” 1983 comedy single) may also provide entertainment for witty lines about the surnames of some of the players in both teams.
Here’s a team of Celts.
https://www.footyalmanac.com.au/the-celtic-green-caps/
Glen!
Yes, it’s a good team, the Celts.
In an upset, 2nd best Australian Test team of non-Anglo surnames have beaten the Best Australian Test Cricket team of non-Anglo surnames, in an exhibition match. The match was staged a bit so that the Celts could have a better chance of beating the 2nd best team of Australian non-Anglo surnames than the best team.
The exhibition match between the 2nd Best Australian Test team of cricketers with non-Anglo surnames and the Celts was held at The Village in Dublin.
Entertainment was provided by The Corrs.
The match was won by the Celts.
Now, it’s time for the dream exhibition match between the Australian Test team of Celtic surnames (The Celtic Green Caps) and the Australian Test team of cricketers with German Origins (The German Green Caps), which was published in the Footy Almanac, on January 23, 2020.
I’m guessing that Glen has divided loyalties, as his main family cultures are primarily Irish and German.
The venue and entertainment will remain the same as the previous match.
Transport will be Aer Lingus.
The after match meal will include Irish stew and schnitzel.
Let’s hope for a good game of cricket. The German team looks stronger on paper, so the Celtic Green Caps will probably need the luck of the Irish!
It’s just dawned on me that Craig McDermott wasn’t included in The Green Cap Celts. Isn’t McDermott an Irish surname? Does Craig McDermott have Irish heritage?
Also, I realise The Green Cap Celts team was selected about 12 years ago, but maybe one day, Nathan McSweeney will be good enough to make that team as an opener, once Khawaja retires.
I forgot to mention that commentary for the exhibition cricket match between The Green Cap Celts and The Green Cap Germans will be from Alan McGilvray. Kerry O’Keeffe will be mic’d up to provide special comments.
Moin Anon, danke fur die kommentare.
Craig McDermott, how did I miss him? Maybe I was distracted by his post career episodes.
Nathan McSweeney can joust for a middle order spot. I don’t think the opening experience worked for him, his return to test level may coincide with the departure of either the incumbent 3, or 4.
For the post match cultural entertainment a Bertolt Brecht performance such as The Threepenny Opera, or Senora Carrar’s Rifles. I’d like to have a reading by Brendan Behan somewhere in the day, but as Brendan’s drinking started at midday I don’t think the post match setting would be appropriate.
Slainte,
Glen!
Aleksandar Vukic’s effort in taking the 15th seed Jack Draper to a 5th set tie breaker overnight in the 3rd round of the 2025 Australian Open, got me thinking that Aleksandar Vekic should be added to the Australian Men’s Davis Cup Squad of Non-Anglo Surnames. In reality, he may well be added to the Australian Davis Cup Squad for their tie against Sweden in Sweden, following this year’s Australian Open.
Marinko Matosevic is another player who can be added to the Australian Men’s Davis cup Squad of Non-Anglo Surnames. He can also be an Assistant Coach to Wally Masur, when he’s not playing.
I forgot to mention Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler as other additions to the Australian Men’s Davis Cup Squad of Non-Anglo surnames. Of course, as a doubles pair, they won the 2023 Australian Open. Who knows, with the all current injuries to several of the current Davis Cup squad, they may be needed as a doubles pair for the upcoming Davis Cup tie against Sweden in Sweden, following the 2025 Australian Open.
Destanee Aiava has been added to the Women’s Federation Cup Squad of Non-Anglo Surnames, after pushing 2022 Australian Open finalist, Danielle Collins to 3 sets in the 2nd round of the 2025 Australian Open. You could say it was Aiava’s destiny!
If Destanee Aiava ends up playing in the pretend exhibition match between the Australian Women’s Fed Cup Squad of Non-Anglo first names or surnames against the US Women’s Fed Cup Squad of Non-Anglo first names or surnames, the entertainment will be provided by Destiny’s Child.
This article got me thinking about a World cricket team where either the player’s first name or surname represents a name of a country, famous city or religion, to give the team a multicultural flavour.
I had many wicket keepers, Gilchrist, Aasif Sheikh, Inglis and French but was struggling to find batsmen, so Josh INGLIS (English) and Adam GilCHRIST were included to improve the batting and they have both previously opened the batting for Australia in ODIs and for the Perth Scorchers respectively. There were a number of all rounders in the team, Washington Sundar (to strengthen the batting, test batting average of 59.00), Christian, and Baptiste.
It doesn’t matter if the spelling is incorrect, as long as it’s close enough and it also doesn’t matter if it’s only part of the name.
Here is the World Cricket team of Multicultural First Names or Surnames:
1. Adam GilCHRIST (c) (96 Tests Australia 19999-2008/Christ for Christian)
2. Josh INGLIS (26 ODIs/29 T20s Australia 2022-present/Inglis is close to English in spelling)
3. Aasif SheIKH ((56 ODIs/54 T20s Nepal 2021-present/Sikh)
4. WASHINGTON Sundar (6 Tests India 2021-present/Washington gives an American flavour)
5. Dan CHRISTIAN (20 ODIs/23 T20s Australia 2012-21/Christian)
6. Eldine BAPTISTe (10 Tests West Indies 1983-90/Baptist)
7. Bruce FRENCH (wk) (16 Tests England 1986-88/French)
8. Joel PARIS (2 ODIs Australia 2016/Paris gives a French flavour)
9. Shafiul ISLAM (9 Tests Bangladesh 2010-17/Islam)
10. Bob HOLLAND (11 Tests Australia 1984-86/Holland gives a Dutch flavour)
11. Anthony IRELAND (26 ODIS/1 T20 Zimbabwe 2005-07/Ireland gives an Irish flavour)
This team will play a match against the Australian Test Team of Non Anglo Celtic Surnames, named at the beginning of this article.
The match will be played at DCX Arena in Darwin, the venue of cricket’s Top End Multicultural Cup 2024.
The match will be televised live on SBS. Commentators will include Isa Guha and Harsha Bhogle.
Entertainment will be provided by a Multicultural Concert.
The after match meal will be Multicultural Food.
Transport will be Multicultural transport.
Let’s hope for a good game of cricket, where multiculturalism is the winner!
I forgot to mention that Dick French (19 Tests as a Test umpire 1977-87/French) will be the umpire for this multicultural exhibition cricket match between the Australian Test Team of Non Anglo Celtic Surnames and the World Cricket Team of Multicultural First Names or Surnames.
The coach of the World Cricket Team of Multicultural First Names or Surnames will be Tahmid ISLAM, the batting coach of Sam Konstas (Greek surname). The 12th man for this team will be David ROME (4 FC Middlesex 1930-33/Rome gives an Italian flavour). Also, Rome (roam) means he can travel a wide area of the ground for fielding duties.