Don Bradman was an athlete.
Sir Donald George `` Don '' Bradman , AC -LRB- 27 August 1908 -- 25 February 2001 -RRB- , often referred to as `` The Don '' , was an Australian cricketer , widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time .. Companion of the Order of Australia. batsman. batsman. Australian. Australian national cricket team. Bradman 's career Test batting average of 99.94 is often cited as the greatest achievement by any sportsman in any major sport .. Test. Test cricket. batting average. batting average. The story that the young Bradman practised alone with a cricket stump and a golf ball is part of Australian folklore .. cricket. cricket. Australian folklore. Australian folklore. Australian. Australian national cricket team. Bradman 's meteoric rise from bush cricket to the Australian Test team took just over two years .. cricket. cricket. Test. Test cricket. bush. The Bush. Australian. Australian national cricket team. Before his 22nd birthday , he had set many records for top scoring , some of which still stand , and became Australia 's sporting idol at the height of the Great Depression .. Great Depression. Great Depression in Australia. During a 20-year playing career , Bradman consistently scored at a level that made him , in the words of former Australia captain Bill Woodfull , `` worth three batsmen to Australia '' .. Bill Woodfull. Bill Woodfull. A controversial set of tactics , known as Bodyline , was specifically devised by the England team to curb his scoring .. Bodyline. Bodyline. England. England cricket team. As a captain and administrator , Bradman was committed to attacking , entertaining cricket ; he drew spectators in record numbers .. cricket. cricket. He hated the constant adulation , however , and it affected how he dealt with others .. The focus of attention on his individual performances strained relationships with some team-mates , administrators and journalists , who thought him aloof and wary .. Following an enforced hiatus due to the Second World War , he made a dramatic comeback , captaining an Australian team known as `` The Invincibles '' on a record-breaking unbeaten tour of England .. Australian. Australian national cricket team. England. England cricket team. The Invincibles. Australian cricket team in England in 1948. A complex , highly driven man , not given to close personal relationships ,. Bradman retained a pre-eminent position in the game by acting as an administrator , selector and writer for three decades following his retirement .. Even after he became reclusive in his declining years his opinion was highly sought , and his status as a national icon was still recognised -- more than 50 years after his retirement as a Test player , in 2001 , Prime Minister John Howard of Australia called him the `` greatest living Australian '' .. Test. Test cricket. Australian. Australian national cricket team. John Howard. John Howard. Bradman 's image has appeared on postage stamps and coins , and a museum dedicated to his life was opened while he was still living .. a museum. International Cricket Hall of Fame. On the centenary of his birth , 27 August 2008 , the Royal Australian Mint issued a $ 5 commemorative gold coin with Bradman 's image .. Australian. Australian national cricket team. Royal Australian Mint. Royal Australian Mint. In 2009 , he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame .. ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. ICC Cricket Hall of Fame