From: vigneswa@ecs.umass.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Cricket:  Richard Hadlee Shares His Views.....
Date: 3 Sep 92 17:55:31 GMT

	The Champion all-rounder Richard Hadlee [Sorry for not using Sir] 
was asked how he would sum up his contemporary all-rounders.  "Imran must
be best.  He was a  better or more consistent performer with both bat and 
ball. He can make the team as a specialist batsman or a specialist bowler.
Probably  the only one who  can do that.  Kapil is a fine player.  Botham
was pretty inconsistent. I would like to think my self as a better bowler
than all of them.  But my batting probably let me down," answered Hadlee.

	For  the benefit of Hadlee fans, let me present some of his views 
here (produced here without permission). Kamesh Srinivasan met Hadlee for
the Sportstar of India.  

Q:  How is life after retirment?  Are you in touch with the game?
A:  I feel very satisfied. I work for Bank of New Zealand, which sponsors
    international Test series in New Zealand. I am an Ambassador with the
    bank, which means the public relations job. So I am there at all Test
    matches  and the one-dayers.  I am in  close touch  with the  players
    media  and  administers.  I certainly am pleased with my career after
    cricket.

Q:  What is your view about the present New Zealand team?  How do you com-
    pare it with the one led by Geoff Howarth?
A:  Geoff Howarth's  team was a very  good side.  Howarth was a very good 
    captain. The best player I have played under.  This is a new side and
    it will take time for them to perform.

Q:  Do you regret not haveing led New Zealand?
A:  I was never asked.  I have never looked for it either.  So no regrets.  

Q:  What has been your approach to cricket?
A:  To compete. To play hard, to play fair and to enjoy it. Yes, that's it.

Q:  In your  bowling armory, which  was your favorite weapon and in which 
    manner did you loike to get a batsman out?
A:  The leg cutter was my best weapon.  If you can bowl a batsman, that is 
    the ideal way.  But, I got a lot of my wickets with catches behind the
    wicket.  That's why I often had three slips and a gully.  Depending on 
    conditions, I relied both on the movement in the  air and off the seam.
    If there is no movement off the wicket, you have to swing the ball.

Q:  What has been the most memorable performance for you?
A:  The test against Australia at the Gabba in 85-86.  I took nine wickets
    in an innings, and 15 in the match. We won the match. That was my best
    performance too.  That  was the first time we had  beaten Australia on 
    Australian soil.

Q:  How was it to reach the world record of wickets? Do you think that you
    retired erly, instead of setting up a tougher target for the rest?
A:  Very special, very important. I thought it was a bonus on the way. And
    Kapil is likely to beat that.  It doesn't matter.  I was 39 when I got
    out.  And itself was five to six years than what I had thought.  Kapil
    deserves it. If he reaches it, I will be the first to congratulate him.
    Already I have sent him a message to go for it.

Q:  What's your assessment of Kapil's ability and what number is he likely
    to end up?  
A:  He has been a fine performer. When he gets that far and gets that many
    wickets as well, he obviously has got to be a very good player.

Q: Don't you feel that you didn't do justice to your batting?
A: Yes, I should have done  better with tha bat.  My average  works out to 
   about 27, and I should have definitely done better.  My batting average
   in the latter  stage of my career was pretty good.  Probably  averaging 
   about 35 or 36.  

Q: What  appeals  you the most, the 'colorful one-day cricket' or the Test 
   cricket?
A: Test cricket is the ultimate.  It isa game of real skill.

Q: Unfortunately, people  don't have  time and  patience to sit  through a 
   Test match?
A: Yes, One-day game is the  glamor game.  It is lot more exciting for lot
   of people.  
   
Q: Is not the 'one bouncer per over' rule unfair to the bowlers?
A: It is not fair at all. Because if you bowl a bouncer in the second ball 
   of the over, the batsman knows that for four  balls he is not  going to
   get another  bouncer.  If you  have got, say three  every two overs, it
   will be good.  There has to be an element of surprise, isn't it?

Q: What is your opinion about the ICC match referee?
A: It is a good idea.  It has proved very important, especially seeing the 
   way the Pakistanis are playing in England at the  moment - bringing the 
   game into disrepute.  It has got to be sorted out.

Q: Will forming an international panel solve the problem of umpiring?
A: Yes, it will.  Because  the umpires  involved will  be the best in  the
   world.  Therefore  they  will be  respected more  by the  players.  And 
   because they are the best their confidence  will be obviously not be at
   question.  And they are going to get decisions right more often, aren't
   they? They should also be able to deffuse explosive situations.

Q: How do you view the Test status given to Zimbabwe?
A: I have no real comment on that.  But I thought they had to prove to the
   world.  It is  debatable.  I  don't know  how good  they are.  Zimbabwe 
   struggled in the  World Cup.  They beat  England, but  that  is one-day
   cricket, and one match performance. They really need to play unofficial
   Test  matches, don't  they, just  to know how  strong they are in  Test
   cricket.  But they have been given Test status  now.  The  merit of the
   decision will be proven very shortly.  Time will tell!

Q: How much did you enjoy the last World Cup? What would you say about New
   Zealand's show?
A: It was very exciting World Cup, wasn't it?  Well organized, well staged, 
   and very competitive.  Pakistan, I think, deserved to win.  The New Zea-
   land side  performed  exceptionally well till the semifinal.  Whole New
   Zealand was disappointed that the team failed to make the final.

Q: Your review  regarding the  rules, particularly the one relating to the
   rain?
A: They  need to be  looked at.  The 'rain rule' is not a  fair one at all.
   Well, there has  got to be better rule.  I can't come up with an answer.
   I can only say that there has got to be a better rule.

Q: In which country did you enjoy your cricket most?
A: England,  because it  provides the best  conditions.  It is the home of
   cricket and  hence has got to have the best.  You  have professionalism
   in every  aspect, from  umpiring to  everything.  Well, the pitch condi-
   tions and  the weather conditions didn't remain the same.  But you play
   six days in a week as you do in county cricket, you get into good habits,
   discipline  and retain  them.  You get to play against some world class
   players.  Therefore your standard must improve if you are to survive.

Q: Which ground appealed you the most?
A: Gabba in Brisbane, because  I returned  my best figures; the Lord's for
   the historical  reasons; Eden Park, New Zealand for its  atmosphere and
   Treant Bridge, because I spent 10 years with Nottingamshire. It is very
   very special to me.  In India I would like to remember the Wankhede Sta-
   dium in Bombay, because  New Zealand won a Test match  there and I took
   nine wickets.

Q: Your advice to the aspiring young fast bowlers of India.
A: Just keep them running in.  You have got to keep running in. Bowl, ball
   after ball after ball. I have bowled over 66,000 balls in my first class
   career. That is a lot of running in! So just keep them running in. That
   is  my tip.  It is best to keep it as simple as that!

Q: How did it feel to be knighted?
A: It was a final  accolade in my career.  That was a beautiful moment.  A
   very special moment.
    
==

Q: You bowled to Sachin Tendulkar and you have watched him during the World
   Cup.  How do you rate him?
A: Tendulkar!  Obviously, he  is a bit of a whiz kid.  A wonder boy who has
   made an impact on world  of cricket.  He has  long way to go yet.  He is
   just 19 years of age and he has got a lot of cricket ahead of him. There
   is no  reason  why he can't go  on and  be the leading run-scorer in the
   history of the game.  He has already gained a lot of experience.  Techni- 
   cally he looks to be a very good player, in the mould of  Gavaskar.  And
   therefore the future looks bright.
 
Q: How beneficial will be his stint with Yorkshire?
A: He hasn't score a century so far, but has been scoring the 80's. Not too
   bad.  The experience will do him a lot of good.

Q: There is  criticism that playing six days a week in England may kill his 
   apetite.  Will it be counter-productive?
A: No.  It is all going  to be good for  experience for him.  For a batsman
   there can't be a negative factor in playing county cricket.  No way.  He
   should only become better.  It works harder for  bowler.

Q: What do you feel about India?
A: It is a difficult place, but fascinating none the less. Coming to India
   is an  educative experience.  It is nice to be in  the hotels, but when
   you get out it becomes a tough proposition.  The heat in particular, is
   menacing.  I was thrilled to see the  magnificient Taj Mahal on my last
   visit.

++++
Thanks:  Kamesh Srinivasan and The Sportstar
This reproduction is for your educational purpose.
Is this a violation of copyright?  I hope it isn't!
Type setting and typos are my own.

Vicky:
UMass, Sep 03
++++
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