Hick admits 'lack of cutting' as curtain falls

Article Published: Wednesday 17 September 2008
Written by: Administrator
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'Unfulfilled promise' has often been a phrase used to describe Graeme Hick's career so it may be cruelly apt if his final season before retirement is cut short by injury.

It seems the Worcestershire faithful will miss the chance to say one last goodbye to their favourite adopted son after the Midlands county announced the 42-year-old Zimbabwe-born batsman was "highly unlikely" to appear in their final two matches this season after the recurrence of an elbow injury.

And the former England cricketer was missing from the team for the four-day County Championship match against Middlesex which started on Wednesday.

A prolific performer at county level, Hick's tally of 136 first-class centuries puts him eighth on the all-time list and is unlikely to be exceeded by any current player Earlier this season, Hick surpassed former England captain Graham Gooch's record for most runs in all senior cricket, and now has more than 64,000 to his name, but he was unable to take that form into the international arena.

Born in what was then Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe), Hick had to serve a seven-year qualification period before making his England debut in 1991, during which time he was repeatedly touted as the saviour of the team.

Had he gone into the side in his early 20s, when expectations were not so high, he might have been treated more kindly by selectors and supporters alike.

Hick, who endured a stop-start 65 Test career which yielded 3,383 runs at a modest average of 31.32 - compared to a first-class figure of 52.23 -with six hundreds, did though take his share of reponsibility for his failings, telling Tuesday's Guardian newspaper: "I came from a country (Zimbabwe) where we had no professional sport and so I had a naive philosophy.

"I saw it as a game that should be enjoyed. I never had that cut-throat edge. Maybe that's why I sometimes fell short."

Hick, who last played for England in 2001, contrasted his approach with that of South Africa-born Kevin Pietersen, the current England captain who, Worcestershire fans will point out, had nothing like as long a wait for his first Test cap.

"He has that hard-edged belief," said Hick. It is arrogance but maybe that's what you need at the highest level? "But Pietersen is wonderfully entertaining - anyone who loves cricket would say he's the guy you would pay to watch batting."

Hick, who twenty years ago compiled Worcestershire's first-class record score of 405 not out, against Somerset at Taunton, was witheringly branded a "flat-track bully" by former New Zealand coach John Bracewell.

His placid nature led to one of celebrated umpire Dickie Bird's more famous rebukes when the batsman was on the receiving end of a volley of verbal abuse from Merv Hughes.

"What's that nice Mr Hick ever done to you?", a bemused Bird asked the Australia quick.

Perhaps the truth about Hick was that rather than being unfulfilled, his career went as far as his talent and mentality allowed, only the distance wasn't as far as both his supporters and detractors would have liked.

"My kids watched my retirement being announced on the news and my son just said, 'That's my dad!'" Hick said. "And he came over and sat next to me and he held me.

"I sat there thinking, 'Of course I would have liked to have scored 30 Test hundreds but I might not be the person I am if I'd done that.' And, looking down at my boy, I just felt very proud and very happy."

Sapa-AFP