Interview: Sir Richard Hadlee on Tests

Guwahati: Sir Richard Hadlee may have quit the game a long time ago, but his passion for it still remains the same. Gulf News recently caught up with him while he was in India for a short visit.

Following are excerpts from an interview where the former New Zealand cricketer held court on a wide range of subjects:

Gulf News: Do you follow cricket regularly now?

RICHARD HADLEE: Yes, I do follow it on television. How can I stay away from the game?

Were you impressed with the Indian cricket team's performances recently [before the Guwahati match]?

They are a strong outfit, playing competitive cricket. They might have lost a few matches, but won quite a few, too.

Despite every effort, however, they are yet to achieve the No 1 spot on the ranking list.

It's not all about being the No 1 team on the ranking list. There will be ups and downs in the team's performances. The main thing is to stay for a longer duration and make your presence felt.

Critics say India are suffering due to their poor bowling attack. If you are offered the post of the bowling coach for the Indian team, would you accept?

No, I would not. Simply because I am too preoccupied. Moreover, just the other day I read in Indian newspapers that the bowling coach was sacked by the BCCI [Board of Control for Cricket in India] and no reasons were given. I cannot be a part of such a system.

The game has undergone many changes after you retired.

Yes, there was neither the IPL [Indian Premier League] nor the T20 World Cup when I used to play the game! People are more attracted to the shortest version of the game. It's pure fun. But that does not augur well for the future of Test matches.

Why do you think so?

Because I believe Test matches are the real test of the character and ability of a cricketer. T20 is okay, but it cannot give you good cricketers. Only Test cricket can produce great cricketers since it takes a [lot] out of you in those five days. In every session, you will have a different kind of test and that enhances your skill as a cricketer. Test cricket is multi-faceted. If the future of cricket lies in T20, I am afraid, you would not get great cricketers any more.

There is more money in the game now.

That's true and at the same time, there is a hike in every other sphere. So, why would cricketers continue to get less? But they should remember that at the end of the day, they are cricketers first. So, it's what they are doing in the field that matters the most.

Do you think endorsements add more pressure on the concerned cricketer?

See, international cricket is synonymous with pressure. You are representing your country and the level of expectation is always higher.

You have to perform for your team, for your country and for yourself, too. When you are adding the expectations from the companies who endorse you, it just makes the job a bit tougher. But that's the order of the day and people like to watch their favourite stars in advertisements. Cannot deny that, too.

Cricket is more verbal now.

It's because all of us want to win first. That is the only target we have when we take the field. And all those frustrations are because of that fact. When you cannot contribute, you are already under pressure. A decision or an incident may force the cricketer to act differently…

However, I believe that there should be restricted display of emotions on the field. Most importantly, there should never be a racial remark on the cricket field. The game does not support it.