Tributes to Graeme Hick...?

Question

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/367336.html

Graeme Hick, one of the most prolific batsmen in the history of English cricket has announced his retirement from cricket at the age of 42.

Hick who scored 136 100's in his carer (the 8th most ever) and a mammoth 64,000 runs will retire at the end of the season.

What are your thoughts about Graeme Hick as a player? Why do you think he under-achieved at international level?

Answer 1

i can explain that why Greame hick failed in international cricket

reason is

he is just like don bradman

The Don scored most of his runs against bumbling, clumsy, inept, limited, unfit, sometimes ageing upper class twits with speed on a par with today's club cricketers. There was no Marshall, Ambrose or Walsh. There was no Hadlee, McGrath or Lillee. There was no Akram or Waqar and there certainly was no Warne or Muralitharan to face so how can you measure his runs reasonably? You cannot!

same story goes with Gream Hick.

In international cricket- he had to face such a classy attack

and he failed. Lucky don bradman -he never had to face such attack

It was a nice question

Hope I helped

Answer 2

In a day and age where sports people are showing less loyalty, I think to stay at one county for the whole of his career is one heck of a thing to admire him for.

Sadly, I have only been interested in cricket long enough to be able to see the latter stages of his career, but my, there's been some memorable innings in there.

I wish I could've gone down to Essex vs Worcestershire now.  

Answer 3

Graeme Hick is originally from South Africa and when he joined the English team there were a  lot of expectations about him.

However,while he played during the tests and the ODIs his performance wasnot as expected.The reason was that his technique wasnt as sound as what people thought and the opposition bowlers did find some loopholes either in his feet movement or in his way of playing the ball.Specially bowlers like Shane Warne and McGrath knew what he was doing precisely and hence never let him succeed against them.

Secondly he was plagued by injuries too.

Hence he couldnt succeed hugely at international level and was overshadowed by the likes of Graham Thorpe and Alec Stewart who were considered to be the backbone of the English batting line up.

Although he underachieved at international level he will undoubtedly go into the history books as one of the most sincere and hardworking players of all times in English cricket history.

Answer 4

Hick was/is a great domestic player, no doubt about it, his record speaks for itself. In fact he is probably one of the most gifted batsmen of his generation. I don't think it really matters that he could never fully realize his potential on the international stage, the man is a legend and will forever remain so.

I will certainly miss watching him play and I think the game as a whole will miss a player of his caliber now that he has decided to hang up his cap. Here's to Graeme Hick, a great player and a true asset to cricket.

Answer 5

I think whenever he got a chance to play for his team, he always got crumble. Though, statistically his record has an international player is fine, but in crucial matches against good team it's nothing!!

Answer 6

I remember when Graeme Hick scored his monumental 405 not out against Somerset. I was at school then, but when I got home, I used to look at the cricket scores on Teletext. If a batsman scored a 100, they would put at the bottom of the scorecard how many balls it had taken, how many fours, and how many sixes. I sat looking at the stats for Hick's quadruple century in amazement.

20 years later, it still amazes me.

Hick has, rather unfairly, been labelled a "flat track bully". Most heavy scorers, to a certain extent, are, but Hick was better than his detractors would claim him to be. He could score runs in tight situations, and when the pressure was on. But I think he lacked a "killer instinct" He just liked batting and scoring runs. He had all the right tools to be a huge star on the international stage, perhaps as good as Ponting, but unfortunately he lacked the ruthlessness of the top players. He was just that bit too sensitive. Perhaps with some better handling by the England management, he could have reached somewhere near the heights expected from him.

It also didn't help that he was so good, so young. A contemporary of his once criticised him for practicing his cover drive too much, rather than knuckling down and sorting out the few flaws in his technique (such as the short ball into the rib cage).

And I'm not sure about the "under-achieving" tag. He had a bad start and bad end to his Test career, but in between he was as good as anyone else. He was also one of the finest ODI batsmen of his generation. But I think the feeling always was that Hick could be so much more than just a good player. He could have been great.

I will personally miss Graeme Hick. I like the way he played the game, and he has never had a bad word to say about anyone. For years he was regarded as the best batsman on the county circuit. You don't get that accolade if you are an under-achiever.

So three cheers for Graeme Hick, and thank you for all your marvellous performances. Whatever he does with the rest of his life, I hope it brings him as much enjoyment as I have had in watching him over the years.