Peter Roebuck
An English cricketer turned incisive Australian columnist, whose elegant writing and uncompromising opinions made him one of the sport's most compelling voices.
1956–2011 (age 55)·English cricketer·Birthday: March 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
Peter Roebuck lived two distinct, intense lives in cricket. The first was as a gritty, cerebral county captain for Somerset in England, a dependable batsman known more for his stubborn concentration than flamboyant strokeplay. His second act, after moving to Australia, was where he found his true calling. Shedding his pads for a pen, he became a columnist of extraordinary influence for The Sydney Morning Herald and a voice on ABC Radio. His prose was literary, his analysis penetrating, and his moral compass fiercely independent; he was unafraid to criticize icons or boards, championing the spirit of the game above all. This combination of insider knowledge and outsider perspective made his columns required reading, though his complex private life ended in tragedy. His legacy remains that of a writer who made cricket think more deeply about itself.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Peter was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Peter Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Peter's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2011Died at 55
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
Key Achievements
- Captained Somerset County Cricket Club from 1986 to 1988, leading a team that included stars like Ian Botham and Viv Richards.
- Authored several acclaimed books on cricket, including 'It Never Rains...', a diary of a county season.
- Became a leading columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and a regular commentator on ABC Radio, shaping Australian cricket discourse for decades.
- His writing was known for its advocacy for fair play and sharp criticism of cricket administration.
Did You Know?
He was a talented schoolboy cricketer who captained the England Young Lions side.
Roebuck studied law at Cambridge University but chose a career in cricket over the law.
He had a distinctive, almost scholarly writing style, often using metaphor and historical allusion.
Following his playing career, he spent time teaching at a school in Natal, South Africa.
“Cricket is a game that owes much of its unique appeal to the fact that it should be played not only within its laws but also within the spirit of the game.”
