s ▁where with al : ▁he ▁immediately ▁double d ▁his ▁original ▁offer ▁and ▁won ▁the ▁contract . ▁But ▁he ▁never ▁forgot ▁the ▁mach in ations ▁involved ▁in ▁winning ▁the ▁bid . ▁ ▁Secret ▁sign ings ▁Pack er ' s ▁planning ▁of ▁the ▁proposed ▁" ex hib ition " ▁series ▁was ▁a uda cious . ▁In ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁he ▁began ▁contract ing ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁Australian ▁players ▁provided ▁by ▁recently ▁retired ▁Australian ▁Test ▁captain ▁Ian ▁Ch app ell . ▁A ▁bigger ▁coup ▁was ▁achieved ▁when ▁Pack er ▁convinced ▁the ▁England ▁captain ▁Tony ▁Gre ig ▁to ▁not ▁only ▁sign ▁on , ▁but ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁an ▁agent ▁in ▁signing ▁many ▁players ▁around ▁the ▁world . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁season ▁clim ax ed ▁with ▁the ▁ ▁Cent en ary ▁Test ▁match ▁between ▁Australia ▁and ▁England ▁at ▁the ▁Melbourne ▁Cr icket ▁Gr ound ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁about ▁two ▁dozen ▁players ▁had ▁committed ▁to ▁Pack er ' s ▁enter prise , ▁which ▁as ▁yet ▁had ▁no ▁grounds ▁to ▁play ▁on , ▁no ▁administration ▁and ▁was ▁secret ▁to ▁all ▁in ▁the ▁cr icket ▁world . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁measure ▁of ▁the ▁players ' ▁diss atisf action ▁with ▁official ▁cr icket ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁prepared ▁to ▁sign ▁up ▁for ▁what ▁was ▁still ▁a ▁vague ▁concept ▁and ▁yet ▁keep ▁everything ▁cover t . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁Australian ▁team ▁arrived ▁to ▁tour ▁England ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁th ir teen ▁of ▁the ▁sevent een ▁members