Precambrian
Banned
The great Worcestershire batsman bids adieu from the county scene at the end of this season. Farewell man, a great unfulfilled international talent.
-
Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.
Hick's up
- Thread starter Precambrian
- Start date
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
Well, unfulfilled Test talent more like. Hick is and remains one of England's best ODI batsmen in the modern ODI era. Second only to Knight for mine.
Anyway as I said in the domestic season thread, I doubt we'll see many if anyone else after him who serves one county so phenomenally. The words Hick and Worcestershire have been synonomous since before I was born, never mind since I started watching the game. It'll feel a bit weird without him on their teamsheets, but no-one can go on forever. He's 42 - most people could only dream of averaging in the mid-40s in the county game at that age. What a fine way for an exceptional batsman to finish. Just hope he can play in the last couple of games of the season.
Anyway as I said in the domestic season thread, I doubt we'll see many if anyone else after him who serves one county so phenomenally. The words Hick and Worcestershire have been synonomous since before I was born, never mind since I started watching the game. It'll feel a bit weird without him on their teamsheets, but no-one can go on forever. He's 42 - most people could only dream of averaging in the mid-40s in the county game at that age. What a fine way for an exceptional batsman to finish. Just hope he can play in the last couple of games of the season.
pup11
International Coach
Agree with every word of the post above, but he has had a great career in terms of his Odi and county efforts, so he surely leaves a legacy behind him, for other English players to look upto.
Ahmed_Tariq
School Boy/Girl Cricketer
Great man, great cricketer. I'll miss him for sure.
SpaceMonkey
International Debutant
I posted my thoughts in the other thread. But heres 2 video links that some might find interesting.
First one is the news report that was on the local news.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7594068.stm
The next is an extended interview with Hick.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/worcestershire/7593454.stm
Not sure if the videos work for people outside the UK. But worth a try.
First one is the news report that was on the local news.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7594068.stm
The next is an extended interview with Hick.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/worcestershire/7593454.stm
Not sure if the videos work for people outside the UK. But worth a try.
Goughy
Hall of Fame Member
A God of modern domestic cricket and up there with the biggest of English names.
He was a disappointment in Test cricket, but what he did domestically will preserve his legacy. That maybe difficult to understand but the difference between Hick and the pack was immense. Of his era, only Lara is remotely comparable.
He was a disappointment in Test cricket, but what he did domestically will preserve his legacy. That maybe difficult to understand but the difference between Hick and the pack was immense. Of his era, only Lara is remotely comparable.
Perm
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Care to elaborate slightly? I'm not exactly sure what you mean
Goughy
Hall of Fame Member
If I was the captain of a CC team and, during the late 80s, 90s and 2000s, I could have chosen 1 player for the team, it would have been Hick. Lara would have been 2nd pick.Care to elaborate slightly? I'm not exactly sure what you mean
For County cricket, I would have taken him over any other player (Tendulkar, Waugh etc). He was that good and important. A colossus.
nightprowler10
Global Moderator
Don't think Goughy rates him in CC as he averaged something mediocre like 43 with many unfulfilled innings.
Precambrian
Banned
He averaged 47 in the only season he played in county cricket. Decent, but not as high as one would've imagined a boy (he was 19 then) would've scored.
Ironically the same guy averages over 60 in Test cricket in England, against arguably the best from the CCs.
Strange yardstick.
Goughy
Hall of Fame Member
Lets not turn this around to Tendulkar. Its supposed to be about Hick.
Its hard for people (that were not around) to appreciate the impact Hick had on CC and his genius.
He may only have averaged 30 odd in Test cricket, but dont let that prejudice.
He maybe the greatest County batsman post war (Boycott, Gooch, Cowdrey and others may argue) and he was a man amongst boys.
Last edited:
Precambrian
Banned
But no argument on the fact that Hick was class. His batting stance, similar to that of Kambli, where he would hang the bat parallel to the ground (instead of repeatedly hitting the ground) during the bowler's delivery stride, is an early imprint in my memory of an English batsman.
Precambrian
Banned
Ironically for all his county championship prowess, it was in one dayers he found international success. And his bowling too was quite effective. A bowling average of 29 in List A is very good!
fredfertang
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I well remember the lead up to Hick's test debut aginst the West Indies - he was seen by the press and supporters alike as the one man complete answer to their domination of England (and everyone else) and it was just assumed his performances would be outstanding (he had made his 1,000 in May in 1988 culminating in a big ton from a Windies attack including Ambrose, Patterson, Bishop and Walsh) - of course what happened was that the 1991 Windies, Ambrose in particular if I recall correctly, targetted him relentlessly and he failed. He didn't and doesn't have the personality of a KP and I don't think as a result of his baptism of fire he ever had the confidence at Test level which he had at County level - had he had that confidence he'd have been fine is my view - I dont subscribe to the oft quoted view that he had a flawed technique - he was a terrific batsman who deserves to be remembered for that as well as for his comparative failure at the highest level
four_or_six
Cricketer Of The Year
Hick's been such an amazing stalwart of the game over here and he'll certainly be missed. I can't remember back to the days where Hick wasn't playing so for my whole life of watching cricket he's been someone I've been aware of, and he's the only player that can be said of. His longevity has been incredible.
I also agree with comments made above about his ODI career - one of our best ODI players ever, and only doesn't get the recognition he deserves because that format of the game doesn't (or certainly didn't at the time he was playing) get substantial recognition in England.
I also agree with comments made above about his ODI career - one of our best ODI players ever, and only doesn't get the recognition he deserves because that format of the game doesn't (or certainly didn't at the time he was playing) get substantial recognition in England.
Precambrian
Banned
Was he in the ICL?
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
What shouldn't be forgotten is that Hick was far from a complete failure at Test level - between 1992/93 and the early part of 1995/96 he averaged in the mid-40s, as good as almost anyone around, against bowling-attacks that featured little let-up.
Early and later on he was a massive disappointment but there was a time that he pretty well lived-up to his ability at Test level.
