Sir Donald Bradman's off-field feuding with ex-teammates and writers including the outspoken R. S. Whitington, Keith Miller, Bill O'Reilly and Jack Fingleton has spilled into the public arena with the soon-to-be auctioned private collection of original letters written by Bradman to fellow Australian selector E. A. "Chappie" Dwyer.

In the set of more than 50 letters to and from Bradman, the Don shows his contempt and distaste for his critics.

"Every year that passes helps to show some of these boys up in their true colors," he says.

"Had I seen O'Reilly's niggardly description of the last day of the fifth Test (in 1947-48) before I wrote my eulogy of him, I may have omitted my reference to his mental ability," says the Don.

"Do these fellows get any pleasure out of harboring jealousy?"

And of Whitington, a prolific journalist author and former opening batsman for Australia in the Victory Tests, he says: "Why they pay him I don't know... when he played the game he neither liked them (bumpers) or had the ability to play them... "

Bradman complains to Dwyer that he has been "putting up with personal insults for years."

"What about the experience when I first captained Australia (in 1936-37)? I just had to take it on the chin and be blamed for close associates even for the Board's action in putting players on the mat when I was not only innocent but completely ignorant of what was happening?"

The charismatic Miller, Australia's most-loved cricketer of the '50s upset Bradman with his provocative journalism: "He has accused me of a breach of confidence in my official capacity as a selector," writes Bradman. "That is a lie, too and I am still a selector. I feel I have the right to take the matter very seriously...

"Every year that passes helps to show some of these boys up in their true colors."

The letters have been listed for sale in the Charles Leski Auction, the estimates ranging from $400 to $3500

While offered individually the letters could also be bought as one lot and are expected to realise, in total, more than $100,000.

"It's the most significant set of Bradman letters to be offered for auction," said Mr Leski. "Nothing similar has ever come onto the market."

The letters are from the family of Mr Dwyer, who was Australia's unofficial selection chairman from 1930-52.

© 2002 IPG Publishing