Tour time to blood young fast bowler, says Hadlee

Press, 20 February 1986, Page 40

Tour time to blood young fast bowler, says Hadlee

PA Greymouth This year’s New Zealand tour of England would be an opportune time to blood a young fast bowler in international cricket, according to Richard Hadlee. The champion paceman said that the opportunity should be taken to introduce an 18 or 19-year-old player while the likes of he and Ewen Chatfield were round to pass on guidance based on their vast experience. A possible candidate, Hadlee said, was Auckland’s Brian Barrett, who has a contract with Worcestershire and is in Australia with the New Zealand Youth side after playing his first Shell Trophy cricket this season.

With himself and Chatfield entering their final years in Test cricket, Hadlee said it was critical that capable replacements were introduced.

Derek Stirling had faded from consideration but his Central Districts team-mate, Gary Robertson, was on the fringe of greater honours, he said. Hadlee predicted that Robertson, a star of Monday’s benefit match at Wanganui, was likely to be given a better opportunity in England. Hadlee, who was at Greymouth on a promotional visit, said that taking his 300th Test wicket remained his top priority. , He was resolved to reach the milestone early in the Test series against Australia, which begins at Wellington on Friday. “I’d like to get it as soon as I can and get it out of my system. Then I’ll see what I can do after that.” He said the Australian Tests would be a lot more

difficult than anticipated, with that side at present riding on a crest after taking out the one-day series, and enjoying a good win over Auckland.

New Zealand would face a far more confident side, with several of the newer Australians having shown considerable promise in recent weeks, said Hadlee.

The pacemen, Bruce Reid, Simon Davis and Craig McDermott, in combination, presented a formidable challenge, he said.

Hadlee said the Australian captain, Allan Border wanted to undo New Zealand’s Test series win over Australia in their encounter on Australian soil last year. Conversely, New Zealand would be striving for its first Test series win over Australia on home turf.

“That must be the main objective,” he said. While approaching the end of his career in firstclass cricket, Hadlee said he was not contemplating retirement.

He expects to play in the England Test series later this year and then against the West Indies next season. He said he would reassess his situation after that.

But after 15 years in the game, nine of those at first-class level, motivation had become increasingly difficult in recent times. Wear and tear on the body was beginning to tell and he would have to decide at some stage whether to hang up his boots or weather the aches and pains by continuing to play international sport, he said. ‘Tve just got to see what happens in the next 12 months.”