Hadlee available for all three tests against West Indies

Press, 2 October 1979, Page 34

Hadlee available for all three tests against West Indies

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

Fhe outstanding fast bowler. R ichard Hadlee, will be available for e " Zealand for all three tests against the West Indies in the coming summer.

Hadlee was in doubt about; his position when he reachedl Christchurch at the week-end ’ for a brief holiday before go-1 ing to Tasmania to fulfill a contract with the Tasmanian Cricket Association. But yesterday the secretarv of the association, Peter ' Hadlow. said he saw no problem about! releasing Hadlee for the tests. “We do not want to stand in j his way, and we have writ- i ten to the New Zealandj Board of Control to say he! can be released,” he said. “Naturally I am highlv de-' lighted with this news,” said] Hadlee. “It allows me to I meet my commitments and to I play for New Zealand which ‘ I am always keen to do.” I Hadlee's contract with Tasmania does not expire un- ( til February 18, ten days af- 1 ter the start of the first test ; at Dunedin. Hadlee, a full-time profes- 1 sional player, is a busy young 1 man. He reached ' Christchurch on Sunday and will 1 leave for Hobart on Friday, t to play a match on Saturday 1 and Sunday. His engagement 1 with Nottinghamshire has a ; third year to run, and he has an option to extend it for a ' further three years. > He has been told by’ his

county committee that he can keep on coming back “as long as he likes” and his intentions have been declared by l his purchase of a house in , Nottingham. “1 am disappointed not to be able to play for Old Boys: and Canterbury, hut I had to look at the immediate future,” Hadlee said. “But I will follow both teams’ progress with much interest, and wish them well.” Hadlee has not seen any-

i thing of Trevor Jesty, the j Hampshire all-rounder who is .'being brought out by the St I Albans Club, and who will be ■ Canterbury’s official coach, j [But Jesty had frequently been 1 s tipped to play for England, | (Hadlee said, and his batting! experience would be a vital! asset for Canterbury. j j Hadlee commented on the ■ fact that there were five Midi diesex professionals who I would be playing club cricklet in Auckland this summer. :They are the test players, |Clive Radley and Mike Seljvey, the wicket-keeper-bats-!man, lan Gould, a medium- , | pace bowler, Alan Jones, and! I a second eleven batsman' I Wilf Slack. Their club con-| (tracts will not allow them to'! 'be Auckland representatives, ii and the Auckland selectors [l have no wish to use them in-I .Auckland Shell Series sides.:; 1 “To get five of them out 1 -seems strange,” Hadlee said. 11 “In the recent past a player las highly rated as Geoff How- j arth could not get a position jl as a player-coach in Auck- I land. It There was a very hard sea- |s son ahead of him in lian Sheffield Shield Cricket, p Hadlee said. All the state It sides had strong pace at- p tacks, he said, and with the'i

: Packer players now available. ; they would" be strong in every I : department. ' “I failed in Australia in . j 197.3,” he. said. “I was young .land raw and bowled badly, , (not thinking what I was dolling. I feel I have something Ito prove there, and I think I j will go back there as a far better bowler.” Hadlee had a frustrating English season, although he| had very good figures. He! missed 10 matches through a> recurring hamstring injury.; But he is not worried about] it. “It is part of the game,' and you have to accept it,”, ihe said. He said he felt fit: .for the coming season. I Hadlee did not rate Eng- i land’s chances very highly ini ■ the matches against Australia, if Australia selected its! ■best team, from the Packer (players and the others. The iWest Indies would be a very 'formidable side in Australia and New Zealand, he said, i “We have got to put in the .best team we have available,” [Hadlee said. “It is no time to (experiment. I would like to isee Bevan Congdon back. 1 'suppose there is a lot to lose •if you come back after reItirement, but his experience and ability would be very I valuable.”