Despite a six year absence from the Australian team, Damien Martyn has gone from strength to strength and appears to be part of the fixtures and fitting of Cricket Australia these days. He made his debut in the 1992/3 season against the West Indies and in doing so became the first player to play cricket for Australia hailing from Darwin. Interestingly he moved to Western Australia with his family following the devastation caused by Cyclone Tracy in December 1974. Not that he would have known at the time, it was a move that shaped the rest of his life on and off the field.

His first season as a Test cricketer wasn’t anything to shout home about scoring only two half centuries in 11 innings. He lost his place in the side during the 1993/4 season playing in the final Test against South Africa (59 and 6) and would have to wait until 2000 before he regained his place against New Zealand following an injury to Ricky Ponting. He never looked back. In 2001 he toured the UK scoring two centuries and two half centuries helping Australia to yet another Ashes series win under the captaincy of Aussie legend Steve Waugh.

He was named as one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year in 2002 following an outstanding Ashes tour of the UK with Stephen Waugh's side and is a former under-19 captain.

Martyn fractured his right index finger while fielding during the Super Six match against Kenya in Durban during the 2003 World Cup and missed the semi-final win over Sri Lanka; he was passed fit to play in the final and made 88 not out from 87 balls as part of an unbeaten partnership of 234 with captain Ricky Ponting.

He lost his place in the squad in 2003 for the West Indian tour following surgery on his damaged finger sustained in Durban. 2004 has seen a resurgence and the player has recently scored back to back centuries (*100 and 142) against Pakistan in Perth and Melbourne.