Sir Richard Hadlee, one of cricket's finest all-rounders, remains a traditionalist at heart and would like to see all formats of the game—both long and short—succeed
There was a time when Sir Richard Hadlee was the Everest among bowlers, and his Test haul of 431 wickets in 86 matches the summit that everyone aspired to scale. The master of swing and guile, there was nothing that he couldn’t make the ball do. During his days, New Zealand was one of the weaker Test-playing nations, but Hadlee’s exploits got them the headlines through the 1970s and ’80s.
One of his most memorable performances came in 1985, when the Black Caps legend ran through the venerable Aussie batting line-up in the first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, with 15 wickets, fetching New Zealand an innings victory. While he was the first cricketer to breach the 400-wicket milestone in Test cricket, Hadlee was also more than a handy batsman, scoring two Test centuries and earning the moniker of one of the finest all-rounders of his time.
He retired from the game in 1990, and although Peak Hadlee has been conquered since (he now ranks 8th on the list of highest Test wicket-takers), the name still evokes respect and adulation as it did a quarter of a century ago.
During his recent visit to Mumbai as the brand ambassador of Christchurch International Airport, Hadlee spoke to Forbes India about the changing ways of international cricket. Edited excerpts:
Q. On your first trip to India in 1976, you vowed never to come back, thanks to the heat and humidity, and a few dubious umpiring decisions. Eventually when you returned in 1988, you and your teammates came down with a severe stomach bug, but this was also where you overtook Ian Botham’s record of maximum Test wickets. Despite a bad start, has the country redeemed itself subsequently?
1976 was a difficult time. I was 25 and never been to this part of the world. We trained and practised for the tour in cold and wintry conditions in August. And when we came to play in October, it was a real-eye opener. It was difficult to deal with the heat and humidity. But when we came back in 1988, the conditions were a lot better and the world record was an important milestone for me. I finished playing in 1990 and since then have returned to India 10 or 11 times. Not having to stay out in the open helped [smiles]. Now, I’ve discovered India and what a magnificent place it is. I love the culture, the people and the tremendous respect that I’m given. I’ve really enjoyed coming back. Plus, it gives me a great opportunity to catch up with friends—like Kapil Dev, Bishan Singh Bedi, Venkataraghavan—and reminisce about old days.
(This story appears in the 28 October, 2016 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)