Entrepreneur dismisses Hick for a duck

Press, 27 April 1989, Page 52

Entrepreneur dismisses Hick for a duck

NZPA-AAP Brisbane A communications entrepreneur, Graham Thomas, yesterday dismissed batting sensation Graeme Hick for a duck, pulling the plug on a reported $lOO,OOO oneyear package to the Zim-babwean-born cricketer. Hick, widely touted as the game’s next batting great, is now likely to pad

up for New South Wales if he plays Sheffield' Shield cricket in Australia next summer. Hick’s first-class batting average this season has already hit the dizzy heights of his aggregate runs — 284 — including an Unbeaten 179 against the M.C.C. for Worcester earlier this month. Hick returned to Eng-

land late last month with a copy of Mr Thomas’s cricket contract, promising to respond by April 24. The straight-shooting Mr Thomas — owner of the Carphone Group backing Queensland and’Hick’s Worcester county club — delivered his bouncer from the United Kingdom yesterday to the Queensland Cricket Association

chairman, Alan Pettigrew. “Mr Thomas has withdrawn the offer because of Hick’s attitude over the past few weeks,” said Mr Pettigrew, still recovering from the shock of losing outstanding youngsters Joe Scuderi and Stuart Law to South Australia. "As far as Mr Thomas is concerned, Hick verbally agreed to accept the

Carphone Group’s offer prior to Worcester’s visit to Queensland three weeks ago,” said Mr Pettigrew. “He is not prepared to wait any longer for written confirmation now the agreed deadline has passed." Hick — who is also being courted by N.S.W. — fell out of favour with

Mr Thomas after asking to have his contract upgraded. Mr Pettigrew confirmed Hick had wanted more, but would not elaborate further. “Mr Thomas’s offer to Hick was extremely generous, and while we are disappointed to miss out on his services we fully understand Mr Thomas’s attitude.”