Graeme Hick, who played 65 Tests between 1991 and 2001, scored 3383 runs with six centuries. He believes that the Boards must look at various innovations to keep the interest in Test cricket alive. Over to V. V. Subrahmanyam.
At 42, his exuberance and passion for the willow game might put into the shade players half his age. For, within weeks of his retirement from first-class cricket — ending a 25-year-long association with Worcestershire County — Graeme Hick was seen training with young Indian players of the Indian Cricket League (ICL).
“I love to be involved with the sport in one way or the other. I looked at ICL as another opportunity to continue my links with the game,” he started off in a chat, in Ahmedabad, before donning the cap for Chandigarh Lions.
“I should have scored many more runs at the highest level. That remains one of the biggest regrets of my cricketing career. But, now when I look back, I wish to focus only on the positives,” said the affable former England batsman who had a terrific record of 64,000 first-class runs including 136 centuries which put him eighth among the all-time leading scorers.
“I came into international cricket in 1991 amidst a backdrop of very difficult and peculiar circumstances. Having scored 57 hundreds in first-class cricket before my first Test, the expectations were naturally very high. It is a fact that I did not live up to them,” he explains. “Definitely, playing against a West Indian attack comprising bowlers like Walsh, Ambrose and Marshall was very tough. However, I never expected life to be easy at that level.”
“Yet, there were some high moments — like the 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand when I scored 400-plus runs. It was one of the most enjoyable experiences for me. Then, I had a pretty decent run in India. I really loved the experience of playing in front of capacity crowds. Indians are very passionate and cricket seems to be their way of life,” he said.
Hick, who played 65 Tests, scored 3383 runs with six centuries between 1991 and 2001. He believes that the Boards must look at various innovations to keep the interest in Test cricket alive.
“I feel some players can be picked from leagues like the ICL. The enthusiasm should be there to look for important marketing tools for Test cricket too,” says Hick who also played 120 ODIs with an average of 37.33.
He adores Vivian Richards and admires Wasim Akram as the two greatest cricketers he has faced. He wants the young generation to always remember that it takes a lot of hard work to succeed. “You just cannot achieve success by merely dreaming. That has to be complemented by immense dedication and commitment,” he explains.
Reflecting on Australian cricket, Hick says that the Ashes continues to be the most anticipated battle in cricketing history for its sheer emotional element, no matter how much is said about the India-Australia series.
“The controversies surrounding the Indian and Australian cricketers sometimes seem to be blown out of proportion,” he says. “But no one can ever write off the Aussies. They might be passing through a transition phase after some of the greats retired. But they have the talent base to continue to be the No.1 in world cricket,” he explains.
Significantly, on the future of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and V. V. S. Laxman, Hick feels that they can be given some time to decide about their future.
But it may not be out of place for the Board to remind them about when to quit the sport. “Sometimes, it is necessary for the Board to tell the players about these things. There is nothing wrong. But care should be taken they are treated with dignity,” he signed off.
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