As he advances in years, Chappell has become noticeably more engaged on a number of non-cricket issues, particularly over the past decade. A noted republican, Chappell is also an outspoken advocate for the rights of asylum seekers and is a high-profile protester against mandatory detention. In an episode of ABC’s Australian Story in the wake of the Tampa crisis, Chappell said, “No matter what you think about protecting the Australian borders, these are human beings and you can’t just treat them like that.
“The games that I’ve played in my life are very good tutors in teaching you what is fair and what is unfair. And that was why I was offended by what I saw with the Tampa crisis. I just thought, ‘That’s not fair.’” Drafted in to help the UNHCR with their advocacy for asylum seeker rights, Chappell said he wanted to “do a bit more than write a letter and send it out”, so soon joined A Just Australia, a lobby group campaigning for a fairer go for asylum seekers. That willingness to fight for the underdog and call a spade a spade is consistent thread of the Chappell ethos.
Chappell’s sense of fair play and loyalty to his peers was exemplified in the compassion shown to his former teammate Jenner when the spinner was jailed for embezzlement and at his lowest ebb. Among Jenner’s first visitors in jail, Chappell used his media appearances and Sun-Herald column to ask that Jenner be given a second chance.
Often Chappell will seek to deny he’s any great student of cricket’s history, but among his areas of interest he campaigned vocally for proper recognition of the first Australian side to tour England, the Aboriginal tourists of 1868. “It was important that Australian cricket recognised what these blokes did,” he said.
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