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Brian Booth, well known for his cricket and his faith, died in Sydney on May 19 at the age of 89.

Booth, who played hockey for Australia at the 1956 Melbourne

Olympics and captained Australia in cricket in the 1960s, was a middle-order batsman with a test average of 42.21.

Converted to Christianity in the 1950s, he was known for his faith and the moral dilemmas he faced when being called upon to play or practice on a Sunday.

Celebrated cricket writer Gideon Haigh, paying a tribute in The Australian newspaper, recalled the challenges Booth faced after his conversion.

“Until that point, sport had been my God,” Brian remembered. ‘‘Now I sensed a greater purpose in living than success in cricket.’’