Doug Walters was anything but the traditional cricketer. From a young age, he had a natural technique that he never wanted to tamper with. He wasn't a fan of training and also strongly opposed strict disciplinary issues. A constant alcoholic who rarely curbed this addiction even during his playing days, Walters rarely let all this come in the way of his profession. A dashing strokemaker with a penchant for classy strokes laden with timing, it was difficult to associate Walters the batsman with Walters the persona, for they were poles apart. There was a soothing part to his batsmanship which was a stark contrast to his explosive off-field character that was fun-loving and jovial as well. He was a daring player too, who didn't believe in mucking around.

Walters' specialty was his ability to handle pace and spin with equal finesse. He had nimble feet which helped him a great deal against the spinners while being adept against genuine pace too due to his strong back foot play. He loved to hook/pull whenever the pacers dropped it short while also possessing a jaw-dropping straight drive in his arsenal. For many who watched Walters bat, he was arguably among the best batsmen to have ever played for Australia after the Don and Neil Harvey. The numbers spoke for themselves and the elegance with which he conjured those runs made him extra special. Apart from his fantastic batting skills, Walters was also a more than useful medium pace bowler who could chip in with a wicket or two when the specialists were having an off day.

Since his First-class debut for Queensland in the 1962-63 season, Walters started being a household name although it was in the 1964-65 season that rose to his peak. A fantastic double century and a seven-wicket haul, both his career bests happened that year. During his prime, Walters signed up to the Army which gave him a two-year hiatus but it didn't affect his career much. He was the first batsman to score a century and a double century in the same Test match. There was a perception that he disliked short-pitched bowling and England exploited this quite a bit though they couldn't prevent Walters from racking up big runs. His social life was a decoration with alcohol and smoking burying him during his free time.

Walters' off field addictions made it seem like he would be a bully on the field but he was anything but that. An absolutely cool character who seemed to be unfazed in the trickiest of match situations, he was as gentle as they come in international cricket and was often seen with a smile on his face. There was a sense of calm around him. His form that hardly dipped throughout his career, took a hit during the World Series after which he was never the same batsman again. After being ignored for the 1981 Ashes series, Walters decided to gracefully exit from the game. The SCG had a Doug Walters Stand in his memory, which got demolished in 2007. He was an active commentator during the 1980s while also being a fine writer, even conjuring a blockbuster book with Mark Waugh in 1999.

By Hariprasad Sadanandan