Former Australian under-19 cricket captain is speaking out about abuse allegations

Reynolds was one of the best and brightest Australian cricketers. He was photographed in November 1985 with his father, Queensland Sheffield Shield stalwart Raymond Reynolds. Dean's steely gaze, Australian Cricket Board shirt and Symond's Super Tusker bat all seem destined for Test matches in the future.

After all, this was a time when Australian cricket was crying out for new talent. The retirements of Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh were followed by a ban on 16 players for choosing to play in apartheid South Africa that summer.

Reynolds seemed to be at the front of the line of aspiring young players.

In his claim, Reynolds alleges that after falling ill during a match in Mumbai, he was locked in his hotel room, where he was given drugs by team doctor Malcolm McKenzie, which left him in a dizzy and semi-conscious state, and was then sexually assaulted . abused by Bitmead.

McKenzie died in 1998.

After the tour, Reynolds recalls discussing the tour's problems with his manager, Jack Bennett, as their return flight landed in Sydney.

Reynolds made a formal complaint to Bennett about Bitmead, but was never contacted for follow-up by the then Australian Cricket Board.

Australian law allows sporting organizations to bear vicarious liability for the conduct of their officials, including coaches and doctors, Reynolds' lawyer Travis Schultz told this masthead.

They have a duty of care to their players, and in Dean's case it is claimed this extended to carrying out appropriate background checks and ensuring proper supervision.

In its defense, CA argued that under the then-current community standards, nothing more could have been done to protect Reynolds.

There was no act, step or precaution, whether through a reasonable system of supervision, inspection and monitoring of the children on tour, which would reduce the risk of harm arising from sexual abuse as alleged in paragraph 7 of the Declaration, would have protected and avoided. of the claim (which are not recognised), or the risk of harm of that nature or kind in such manner or at such time, as to prevent the harm alleged to have been caused to the claimant.

Bitmead stopped coaching at elite junior level and resigned as senior coach of the Richmond cricket club the following season.

In the years since, Reynolds has struggled with alcohol problems and recurring bouts of major depression. These problems have contributed to the struggle to keep jobs and the breakdown of relationships.

His son, Cody, is a promising young fast bowler and represented Australia under-19s on a tour of England in 2023 before serving as reserve for this year's World Cup.

That tour would ultimately change the course of my life, said Dean Reynolds of the 1985 tour. The events that took place not only destroyed my hopes of an international cricket career, but also had devastating consequences for me as a person, where I remain today still find it difficult to deal with.

The people who were entrusted with caring for me in the absence of my parents as a vulnerable 17-year-old on tour did the unthinkable and irrevocably changed my path.

What happened has affected me greatly over the years, and confronting these experiences has been overwhelming at times. My focus now is on improving my parenting and restoring my mental and physical well-being. I just want to live a simple, healthy life, with integrity.

The photo of Reynolds with his father, Ray, at the Gabba was taken the week Dean was due to make his debut for Queensland against Western Australia in a Sheffield Shield match. A few days before the match he fell ill with glandular fever and missed the next twelve months of cricket.

Reynolds appeared sporadically for Queensland's development sides in later years. In August 1989, he slashed 90 off 101 balls with a pair of sixes for Queensland Colts against an Australian Cricket Academy team featuring Michael Bevan and Brendon Julian. But the ride was gone.

I should have been on top of the world, but despite these successes, the tour left me increasingly disillusioned with the sport I once loved, Reynolds said. When I was 21, I made the difficult decision to step away from professional cricket completely.

Losing my passion for cricket marked a turning point. I moved into other fields, pursuing a career in the hospitality industry and later as a flight attendant. Although I have found new paths, the sense of loss and unfulfilled potential has remained with me over the years.

It was a mix of pride and sadness to see my former teammates forge successful careers in cricket, some as coaches and directors. While I am genuinely happy for them, it serves as a constant reminder of the opportunities missed, the demons I still face, and the career that could have been.

As a contemporary said of Reynolds, Dean was a good player. No one really understood why he just disappeared. What a shame.