Greg Matthews - Out of The Test Team 1986-1990

Out of The Test Team 1986-1990

He wasn't fitting in with the team. On many occasions he had breakfast alone, and he wasn't one to spend more time at a bar with the boys when there was a disco on hand. The "minor" things were causing a rift - his eating habits, his hair-style, his choice of clothes, or whatever, seemed to be an extra reason why he wasn't one of the boys.

Rod Nicolson, Melbourne Herald

Matthews would remain out of favour with the Australian Test selectors for four years. Despite his 10 wicket hall in the Tied Test his bowling was not of Test standard and his batting average 36.82 was not enough to keep him in the team by itself when David Boon, Allan Border, Dean Jones and Steve Waugh were occupying the middle order. He did play One Day Internationals until the Sharjah Cup in 1986-87, where he had an off-field argument over a barbecued steak and was fined $1,000 by Ian McDonald and Bobby Simpson. Steve Waugh thought he "was being punished largely for previous infractions and perceived attitude problems...and straight away you could sense that a couple of guys felt their careers might be over". Bobby Simpson was Matthews' personal manager and the Australian coach and though he had been supportive in his early career, but now wanted a more disciplined team and Matthews did not fit in.