Wisden overview
For the first half of the 1960s, Brian Booth was the most dependable component of Australia's top order, a willowy strokemaker with a high backlift and sweet timing, and a modest and unostentatious man with a deep Christian faith. "If prizes were offered for fair-playmanship among Australia's postwar cricketers," wrote journalist Ray Robinson, "Brian Booth ought to win hands down, not only for deserving it but because I feel other unblemished sportsmen would not accept nomination against him." Booth, who played hockey for Australia in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, came late to Test cricket, but bolted to 1000 runs in his 11th match. He twice captained his country as stand-in for Bob Simpson - although defeat on the second occasion, in January 1966, spelt the end of his Test career. Sir Donald Bradman later claimed that this was the decision he most regretted during his long tenure as a selector. Gideon Haigh

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