Hodge retires from first-class cricket

[LostDoggy]

Hodge retires from first-class cricket
WILL BRODIE
December 1, 2009 - 8:29AM

Cricket Australia has confirmed that Victoria's champion batsman Brad Hodge is retiring from first-class cricket. He will play just two more Sheffield Shield matches for the ladder-leading Victoria, his final four-day match for the Bushrangers to start on December 18 against New South Wales. Hodge will remain available for one day matches and Twenty20 games.

The prolific 34 year-old right-hander has officially stepped down in order to spend more time with his young family, and his wife, who has health issues, but his frustration at not being selected for the Australian Test team was pivotal to the decision.

Hodge will speak about his decision at a press conference at 11.30am this morning.

On the Cricket Australia website, Hodge is positive about his new direction: "It's been a wonderful journey, which hopefully has more to go at limited-overs and Twenty20 level. I've loved every time I've pulled on the navy blue cap and it was a dream come true to swap it for a baggy green for the times I did. Playing Test cricket for Australia was an incredible experience and I feel proud and blessed to have had that opportunity."

"Hopefully this decision will allow me to continue playing good cricket and also spend more time with my young family."

Ex-temamate and current Cricket Victoria chief executive Tony Dodemaide, also quoted on the game's official site, said: "Brad Hodge has been a champion player for Victoria who has achieved almost every honour available."

... Rest of article here: http://www.theage.com.au/sport/crick...1201-k1mk.html

[Ozza]

Re: Hodge retires from first-class cricket

Pretty disappointing that he has walked away during the middle of a Shield season.
Surely he could have played out the domestic summer. I've always liked him as a player - but unless there is A LOT more behind this - its a pretty selfish way to go out.

[azabob]

Re: Hodge retires from first-class cricket

Pretty disappointing that he has walked away during the middle of a Shield season.
Surely he could have played out the domestic summer. I've always liked him as a player - but unless there is A LOT more behind this - its a pretty selfish way to go out.

Interesting view, I personally have never warmed to Hodge. But I did read an article on him not so long back and he indicated once he thought he was holding out younger players he would move aside.
It appears as though he has given it some thought and decided to retire. Perhaps Cricket Victoria convinced him to play on?

Either way congrats to him on a fairly outstanding career at state level.

[Ozza]

Re: Hodge retires from first-class cricket

He made a double hundred a couple of weeks ago didn't he?

I reckon its a BS excuse from him the whole - 'Holding young guys out'....when you're averaging over 100 in the first 2 matches - you aren't holding blokes out - you're bankroll the sides batting!!

[LostDoggy]

Re: Hodge retires from first-class cricket

Hodge - victim of bad luck, or bad judgement?
WILL BRODIE
December 1, 2009 - 2:46PM

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/hodge--victim-of-bad-luck-or-bad-judgement-20091201-k2db.html

Why did Brad Hodge play only six Tests?

The Victorian middle order maestro makes mountains of runs, year-in, year-out, he is a nimble fieldsman and a handy change bowler. He has a chirpy, upbeat demeanour.

Though obviously frustrated by his non-selection in national teams, Hodge has never burnt his bridges with authority figures by moaning on the public record about his treatment, applying a cheerful, if occasionally resigned straight bat to questions about how he felt about being overlooked.

He made a Test double century and averaged 55 in those six matches in the baggy green. He remained fit and eager, and rarely troubled by injury. So he had talent, performance, attitude, fitness, versatility and diplomacy on his side.

Some day there may be a tell-all tome written by an ex-selector which will reveal Hodge's previously hidden shortcomings, but in the meantime, it may be tempting to speculate that Hodge had a bad relationship with a crucial stakeholder in the dressing room - cricket is a lengthy game where you have to get along with influential teammates, and team harmony can be a factor in selection choices.

But without evidence to support such a contention, we must turn back to the facts.

And what they tell us is that it if you are batting regularly in Tests for Australia, you are a very rare creature.

Upon examination of the era in which Hodge played, it becomes evident that if you want to play for Australia, you are better off putting in the back-breaking effort to be a bowler.

Since 1990, 13 middle-order batsmen have debuted for Australia. They had to contend with veterans such as Allan Border and David Boon, who played well into the early stages of Hodge's career, and some bloke by the name of Steve Waugh, a bedrock of the Australian batting order until 2004. In that same timespan, 35 bowlers have had their chance to play Test cricket for Australia.

Of the remaining rivals Brad Hodge faced for a middle order batting position, one R. Ponting started in 1995 and is yet to budge, and Darren Lehmann was no slouch from 1998-2004. Blewett and Bevan had their chances, and their moments, but did not stick.

When Hodge was at his peak and winning international selection, in 2004/2005, he had to contend with anointed wunderkind Michael Clarke, who, despite a first-class average of just 37, was given an opportunity in India, made 151 on debut and became one of the first names pencilled in on the teamsheet.

Still Hodge may have played, but for Andrew Symonds, who first played for the Test team in 2004, and did not consolidate his place until a break-out century in the 2006 Boxing Day Test.

Symonds, a more explosive, but marginally inferior batsman to Hodge, was a better bowler, and got his place by virtue of his all-round skills.

Hodge, a more than handy off-spinner (74 first-class wickets at 41) was also competing with much-loved quiet man Damien Martyn, who was a mainstay of the Aussie batting in the early noughties.

Martyn looked washed up after averaging 19 on the 2005 Ashes tour, and following Hodge's excellent performances against South Africa, including an unbeaten 203 in Perth, it seemed a given that he would make the tour to South Africa.

Hodge had a forgettable domestic season that year, but averaged better than Martyn. However, then chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns went for Martyn's 'experience' over Hodge's promise and the Victorian was left out of the Test team, never to return. Hodge was 29, hardly wet behind the ears, and a veteran of 10 years of first-class cricket.

Since then, fellow old-timer Michael Hussey began his career in a blaze of glory bright enough to keep him from demotion through an extended slump, and another all-rounder, Shane Watson, has been played every time he recovered from one of his many injuries.

Finally, thirty year-old Marcus North, a lesser performed WA journeyman, has been given a chance at Test level, and thrived.

Now, it seems, Hodge really is too old, at 34, to be considered for a Test berth, and he has decided to end the agony by removing his endlessly productive run-making from the reckoning.

His frustrations at the top level underscore why a Test selection must never be devalued. It is devilishly difficult to gain a place in this team, especially as a middle-order batsman, and great players, such Jamie Siddons (0 Tests), Stuart Law (1 Test), Martin Love (5 Tests), and Hodge, have recently been victims of success, bad luck with timing, and the occasionally baffling back-to-the-future choice of selectors.

Conspiracy theorists who argue that there is a New South Wales bias on selection committees must contend with the fact that a Tasmanian and Victorian are two-thirds of the current panel.

The conclusion from analysing Brad Hodge's Test career?

To bat regularly for Australia takes more than elite talent.

And if you make it, take a picture from the peak. You may not be there too long.

---

Symonds was a 'marginally inferior' batsmen to Hodgey? That's like saying Kim from Kath and Kim is 'marginally inferior' to Jen Hawkins.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Hodge retires from first-class cricket

This article I think raises more questions that it answers. Apart from Martyn and Lehmann understandably keeping Hodgey out towards the middle of his career:

Symonds, Watson and North (and arguably pretty boy Clarke) are far inferior batsmen (statistically and in reality), and point to a strange selection mindset where some players are persisted with against all logic (especially Symonds and Watson), for very mediocre returns, with their one or two good innings in years and years of opportunity held up as examples of success.

Watson has been given every opportunity to succeed and all he's done is no more than any first-class cricketer would have if given the same amount of time.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Hodge retires from first-class cricket

Pretty disappointing that he has walked away during the middle of a Shield season.
Surely he could have played out the domestic summer. I've always liked him as a player - but unless there is A LOT more behind this - its a pretty selfish way to go out.

You missed the "wife's health issues" bit?

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Hodge retires from first-class cricket

This article I think raises more questions that it answers. Apart from Martyn and Lehmann understandably keeping Hodgey out towards the middle of his career:

Symonds, Watson and North (and arguably pretty boy Clarke) are far inferior batsmen (statistically and in reality), and point to a strange selection mindset where some players are persisted with against all logic (especially Symonds and Watson), for very mediocre returns, with their one or two good innings in years and years of opportunity held up as examples of success.

Watson has been given every opportunity to succeed and all he's done is no more than any first-class cricketer would have if given the same amount of time.

There is nothing understandable about Martyn keeping Hodge out at all.

As it says above, Martyn was averaging 19 and kept his place.

[GVGjr]

Re: Hodge retires from first-class cricket

Great batsman and unlucky not to have played more tests but if he's not available for the SS games after Xmas then I see no reason to keep him in the squad for the limited over games either.

He will make a great living in India and we shouldn't be the platform for his batting practice in between the Indian seasons.

[chef]

Re: Hodge retires from first-class cricket

According to his press conference he hasn't given up hope of playing for Australia in the shorter forms of the game. I can't see him getting a 50 over spot but he should be in the 20twenty team.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Hodge retires from first-class cricket

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoo this is a sad day for me cricket wise.....i love Hodgy.....booo for him leaving.....

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Hodge retires from first-class cricket

Great batsman and unlucky not to have played more tests but if he's not available for the SS games after Xmas then I see no reason to keep him in the squad for the limited over games either.

He will make a great living in India and we shouldn't be the platform for his batting practice in between the Indian seasons.

I don't agree at all.

You're saying that 4 day cricket and 1 day cricket are somehow linked which I completely disagree with.

Different games requiring different skill sets. If he's in our best T20 or 1 day side, he should play.

[GVGjr]

Re: Hodge retires from first-class cricket

I don't agree at all.

You're saying that 4 day cricket and 1 day cricket are somehow linked which I completely disagree with.

Different games requiring different skill sets. If he's in our best T20 or 1 day side, he should play.

I'm saying if he can't commit to all forms of games for Victoria then he shouldn't be given a spot in just the 50 over or T20 games. He shouldn't be allowed to take a spot from a youngster just because he wants to practice for his cash cow games in India.

These half arsed retirements won't do Victorian cricket any good in the long run. It's bad enough with the imports and the English reject let alone having the home grown players picking and choosing what forms of the games they will play.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Hodge retires from first-class cricket

I'm saying if he can't commit to all forms of games for Victoria then he shouldn't be given a spot in just the 50 over or T20 games. He shouldn't be allowed to take a spot from a youngster just because he wants to practice for his cash cow games in India.

These half arsed retirements won't do Victorian cricket any good in the long run. It's bad enough with the imports and the English reject let alone having the home grown players picking and choosing what forms of the games they will play.

So you don't value winning these competitions?

If we are playing to win, he plays. If they're nothing but practice games why do we bother with them at all? They are legit competitions and I want to win them.

[GVGjr]

Re: Hodge retires from first-class cricket

So you don't value winning these competitions?

If we are playing to win, he plays. If they're nothing but practice games why do we bother with them at all? They are legit competitions and I want to win them.

I want to win the SS far more than just the 50 or T20 games and he has chosen not to play for the Shield side. I see the limited over forms of the game as the ideal training ground for new Victorian SS players.
Most of all I want the Victorian SS side to to develop potential Australian test cricketers.