Hadlee vows to be top wicket-taker

Press, 16 November 1987, Page 48

Hadlee vows to be top wicket-taker

From

TONY VERDON

in London

The New Zealand all-rounder, Richard Hadlee, flew to Australia at the week-end, saying he would not rest until he overtook lan Botham as the world’s top test wicket-taker.

While the Canterbuiy player has given up his English county cricket career, he has vowed to knock over Botham’s world record of 373 wickets.

Hadlee flew with other members of the New Zealand test team to Australia, for a three-test transTasman series, with his tally standing on 355 wickets.

“I’m very proud to be alongside lan Botham, Bob Willis, Lance Gibbs, Fred Trueman and Kapil Dev in an exclusive club of men who have taken 300 test wickets,” Hadlee told the "Sun” newspaper.

It was a special honour to stand alongside Lillee, the man he regarded as the world’s greatest, fast bowler, said Hadlee. “But Botham is still out there in front and that’s an extra challenge to keep playing test cricket. “I’m cutting back at the age of 36. But I keep myself in good condition and hope to conserve my energy so that I can stay in the international game for a few more years.” But Hadlee said he doubted he would be able to overtake Botham’s total before the end of the year.

However, the last time he was in Australia he blitzed the team’s greatest rivals in a triumphant 1985 series.

In the Brisbane test that year he routed the Australians with match figures of 15-124, and finished with a record 33 wickets. Hadlee said people kept telling him he could be

the first man to take 400 wickets. But he said he did not think about that statistic. "But I do think about taking more wickets than Botham,” said Hadlee.

“With lan out of action for England this winter I could be gunning for his record when Mike Gatting and his team come to play us in the New Year.” Hadlee said that if he

reached the target of 374 wickets then he could feel in the mood to go for the magic 400 wickets. The “Sun” said Hadlee admitted that it could become a “fascinating duel” between himself and Botham for the honour of

being the first bowler to capture 400 test victims. Meanwhile, the New Zealand team manager, Gren Alabaster, told NZPA the team could repeat its 1985 achievement in beating Australia by two tests to one. Mr Alabaster, speaking before the team flew to Perth, where the tour begins with a one-day match against Western Australia, said: “The teams will be more evenly balanced now, and perhaps the Australians have improved, whereas we are in a stage of development.

“But I have no doubt our players can play test cricket well. They showed that against the West Indies.”

The first part of the tour, which includes three tests, will be followed by a one-day competition with Australia and Sri Lanka. “The aim will be to

develop each player to his potential, that they all belong to and become part of the team, that each player works towards producing his best,” Mr Alabaster said. “Once that stage has been reached, the wins should come.”

He said pre-match preparation would be important.

"Without suggesting that preparation has not been good in the past, I will want a more organised and disciplined attitude to practices. To compete well tomorrow, the things have to be done today.

“The Australians showed us that in the World Cup they seemed highly organised. They had done their preparation, and that is something we will be concentrating on.”

Mr Alabaster said New Zealand seemed to have lost its way in one-day matches..

“We are not doing the things we used to — superb running between the wickets, fielding better than the opposition, sustaining the effort over a whole game. "We must organise ourselves to cope when the pressure comes on. We must have strategies we can put into place. "However, looking back at the World Cup, we find that Australia won the cup, a side we almost beat on two occasions.”

The New Zealanders spent most of Saturday completing a television commercial which is part of the DB Draught sponsorship of the side.