It was precisely this week, 22 years ago, that Merv Hughes played his 53rd and final Test match for Australia.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Most of the time, 1994 – and the memorable decade that preceded it – feels like yesterday to the fast bowler with the famous moustache.
But step into a classroom and it’s ancient history.
“I used to do a lot of school visits but they’re probably not so relevant now – especially primary schools – because I haven’t played for 22 years, so the kids don’t know who you are,” Hughes said.
They do now at Henschke Primary after year 4 student, Nayte Cunneen, took Mervyn Gregory Hughes to school as his item of news.
Nayte’s dad, Matt, is a fishing mate of Merv’s and invited him to town for the South Wagga Rotary charity golf tournament.
The school visit was a bonus, but Hughes’ is a story worth re-telling.
In a golden age of Australian cricket, he took 212 Test wickets, including a career-best 13 in a match against the West Indies in 1989 – which featured his memorable hat-trick.
“They were great days. I started in ’85 under Allan Border and just crossed paths with a lot of great blokes,” he said.
“When you think of blokes like Terry Alderman, Geoff Lawson, Bruce Reid, Craig McDermott, Mike Whitney – they were the faster bowlers – and the two Waugh boys, (Michael) Slater, (Matthew) Hayden, (Damien) Martyn.
“And Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath towards the end of my career.”
It might be history to primary school students, but Hughes’ brash personality gave him a cult following and the former Test selector hopes the sport doesn’t hide its characters.
“I think we’ve still got the cult figures ... I suppose Davey Warner’s a great example – he speaks up about different tours and different blokes,” Hughes said.
“And when he’s having a go at the opposition, he backs it up with performance. And he seems to get a slap on the wrist for everything that he says.
“You want to hear what the players are thinking. You don’t want to hear what Cricket Australia think the players should be thinking.”
Hughes also warned about allowing the game to favour batsmen over bowlers.
“They’ve just got to put a bit of grass on the wickets and make it an even contest,” Hughes said.
“No-one wants to go and see a one-sided affair where the bat just dominates.”
Hughes believes a good Test match doesn’t have to go five days, as long as it’s an evenly-matched contest between bat and ball.
