Ian Chappell at the end of a nineteen-Test career. Chappell was given weekly batting lessons from the age of five, as were younger brothers Greg and Trevor, who both also went on to play for Australia. Chappell grew up in the beachside suburb of Glenelg and attended the local St Leonard's Primary School where he played his first competitive match at the age of seven. He was later selected for the South Australian state schoolboys team. He then enrolled at Prince Alfred College, a private secondary school noted for producing many Test cricketers, including the Australian captains Joe Darling and Clem Hill.
Trevor Chappell to bowl more and his fielding by now was amongst the best in the country; he began to be discussed as an international prospect. At the beginning of the 1980–81 summer Chappell's bowling spell of 3–22 helped NSW defeat Queensland. In November Chappell was selected in the Australian one day side against New Zealand. Australia lost the game. Chappell managed only 12 runs and took 0–21 with the ball. He did not bat or bowl in his second game. Chappell was kept in the team to play India, taking 1–14 and scoring 14. His figures for his next game were