In May 1977 cricket was rocked by news that 35 of the world's leading internationals had signed three-year contracts to play for Australian media-magnate Kerry Packer rather than their countries. The players had been approached by then England captain Tony Greig. In the 1978 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, Gordon Ross looked back on a turbulent year First news of what was to become, virtually, "The Packer Explosion," came from South Africa towards the end of April 1977 when South Africa's Sunday Times broke the news that four South African cricketers had signed lucrative contracts to play an eight-week series of matches throughout the world. It was said that when the team visited South Africa and played local teams it would have immeasurable benefits for the game there.

In the middle of May, The Bulletin, Australia's 97-year-old magazine owned by The Australian Consolidated Press Limited (chairman, Kerry packer) announced the completion of a huge sporting deal in which thirty-five top cricketers had been signed for three years to play specially arranged matches, beginning with a series of six five-day Test matches, six one-day games, and six three-day round robin tournaments in Australia in 1977–78. Prize money would be $100,000. The deal had been put together by JP Sports and Television Corporation Limited, proprietors of Channel 9 in Sydney (Chairman, Kerry Packer).

The thirty-five players signed up were Australia IM Chappell (Captain), RJ Bright, GS Chappell, IC Davis, R Edwards, GJ Gilmour, DW Hookes, DK Lillee, MF Malone, RW Marsh, RB McCosker, KJ O'Keeffe, LS Pascoe, IR Redpath, RD Robinson, JR Thomson, MHN Walker, KD Walters.

Rest of the World AW Greig (Captain), Asif Iqbal, EJ Barlow, DL Hobson, MA Holding, Imran Khan, APE Knott, CH Lloyd, Majid Khan, Mushtaq Mohammad, RG Pollock, MJ Procter, BA Richards, IVA Richards, AME Roberts, JA Snow, DL Underwood.

Geoff Boycott was invited to take part in the scheme but declined. Richie Benaud and his Sports Consultancy Company were engaged in the management of the series. Many of the signings were carried out during the Centenary Test match in Melbourne, and the New Zealand-Australia series. Austin Robertson and John Kitto (Secretary and Attorney of the Television Corporation Group) flew to West Indies where West Indies were playing Pakistan, and then to Britain to finalise the arrangements with the English and South African players.

The Australian team was already in England. The Manager, Len Maddocks, was quoted as having said: "I do not envisage the present development having a detrimental effect upon this tour. But if any of them play for a side contrary to the jurisdiction of the Australian Board, they will place their careers in jeopardy."

On May 13 The Cricket Council issued a statement at the end of an emergency meeting to the effect that Greig was not to be considered as England's captain in the forthcoming series against Australia. The statement went on: "His action has inevitably impaired the trust which existed between the cricket authorities and the Captain of the England side." F. R. Brown, Chairman of the Council, added: "the captaincy of the England team involves close liaison with the selectors in the management, selection and development of England players for the future and clearly Greig is unlikely to be able to do this as his stated intention is to be contracted elsewhere during the next three winters."

On May 25 it was announced from Lord's that a special meeting of full and foundation members of the International Cricket Conference would be held at Lord's on June 14 to discuss the situation, and the next day the Test and County Cricket Board said that the selection committee should pick England sides this summer strictly on merit, which obviously meant that Greig, Knott and Underwood could play.

At the end of May, Packer arrived in England, and at a Press Conference, said: "It is not a pirate series but a Super-Test Series. I have sent telegrams to all the cricketing bodies but they don't reply. I am willing to compromise but time is running out." He referred to cricket as the easiest sport in the world to take over, as nobody had bothered to pay the players what they were worth.

At this point the only cricket subject being discussed from the highest Committee Room in the land to the Saloon Bar of the tiniest inn, was "Packer", and from all the multifarious points raised, one was likely to be proved the dominant factor in the end. In this age of extreme partisanship, had non-partisanship cricket any future. Does the world not want to see England beat Australia, or Arsenal beat Tottenham, or England beat Wales at Twickenham — or vice versa, according to particular loyalties? Could a collection of players, however great, stimulate public interest, when there was nothing on the end of it, except a considerable amount of money for the participants? The fact that tennis players and golfers are a constant attraction was irrelevant; they are individuals playing for no-one but themselves. And moreover, the whole crux of this matter was linked to big business — the business of television, and not so much to the furtherance of cricket or cricketers.

Mr. Packer, as Chairman of Channel 9 of Australia, was bitterly disappointed that an offer he had made to the Australian Board of Control for television rights for conventional test cricket had not been given the due consideration which Mr. Packer felt the offer had merited. Out of this frustration, his scheme was born and nurtured. Meanwhile, unanimous agreement on their attitude to Packer's television circus was reached at the emergency meeting of the International Cricket Conference on June 14. Mr. Packer, who left Heathrow that evening for the United States, was to be invited to discuss his plans with representatives of the I.C.C. at the earliest possible moment. This meeting was arranged for June 23, but negotiation was not found possible on one salient point — Mr. Packer demanded exclusive television rights from the Australian Board of Control from 1981 when their present contract with the Australian Broadcasting Commission ended. The I.C.C. representatives told him that it would be totally wrong in principle if this were taken as a condition of agreement. The representatives of all the countries present were unanimous that no member country should be asked to submit to such a demand. The I.C.C.'s five conditions were: