Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

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eddiesmith

eddiesmith

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Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

Brad Hodge quits first-class cricket | Herald Sun

A real shame that one of the best batsmen in Australia is set to retire a few years earlier than he should due to losing the thrill basically as it doesnt matter what he does, the selectors will continue to ignore him and he is obviously happy in Victoria and doesnt want to move to become a test player like others have

It will be disappointing to not be able to see Hodgey out in a Shield game after this year, he will stick around for the shorter forms of the game but it seems that with nothing to play for and needing to spend more time at home he wont be pulling on the whites again after Christmas. He went missing during the recent Shield game for family reasons and according to Brad his wife has some health problems which have likely brought on this earlier than expected retirement

One of Australias best ever first class batsmen, he will be sorely missed and I look forward to his autobiography in the future :D

But a good opportunity for some of Victorias fine young batsmen to get a regular gig in the side
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

How much truth is there to the story that Brad Hodge, the batsmen, was not the problem.

Brad Hodge, the team member, the person, was a different story, hence his lack of selection?

But yes unfortunate, saw him make his double ton at the WACA.
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

eddiesmith;377993 said:
I look forward to his autobiography in the future :D
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God help us. That is going to be one whiney pile of prose.
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

You could hardly blame the bloke for venting his spleen - even though my suspicion is that he would still hold back because he doesn't know enough about the real reasons behind his rejection. How would you go as a professional for 15 years performing at a sustained level of excellence and be constantly ignored at the one level you aspire to achieve? I don't know either of you, A-for or Caesar, but I reckon you'd be inclined to blow off a bit of steam rather than hold it all in. Especially if people are interested in hearing it and it makes you a dollar!
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

There are lots of players in Australia that could easily make the International side if there was a spot. That is because Australia can field a Second XI or maybe even a Third XI that could win against over half the Test playing nations, and put up a damn good fight against the others.

When you have a middle order of Ponting, Hussey and Clarke, I would probably say his non-selection was quite that, there was a lack of space. Could he have been as good or better than any of those three? Maybe, but that's just unfortunate.

At least there are a lot of people that will recognise him as a true great of the game despite never getting that call up, we all know how he would have gone if he had gotten the chance.

The only thing I can give him negative criticism for is not playing for his state. There are some people out there that call their state home and would do anything for it. I remember Matthew Hayden saying that Queensland was his home state and is the team he would do the most for. Hodge would have probably known two years ago that he wasn't going to get the call up, and should have made that dirty little team down south his home, the team he calls his and the one he will become legendary within. There is more to playing for Australia, and he should have settled for the next best thing. I would give anything to play for my state, let alone my country.
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

Exactly Boris, I didn't mind Hodge as a player, but our middle order was strong for most of Hodge's career, he was simply seen as a player to call on if a Ponting got injured.

Hodge had a shocking one day series a few years back that probably ruled him out of playing ODI cricket, unfortunately his test career never really took but that was more a reflection on the talent in the Australian side rather then the ability of Hodge.
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

Let's not take anything away from him on his retirement. Celebrate what he has done for his state and his country, he kept the boys in the international team very honest because of the immense pressure he put on them.

Well done Hodgey.
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

Agree, but lets not turn it into a case of Hodge retiring because his test career is over, I believe his wife's health was the main reason.
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

Boris;378043 said:
The only thing I can give him negative criticism for is not playing for his state. There are some people out there that call their state home and would do anything for it. I remember Matthew Hayden saying that Queensland was his home state and is the team he would do the most for. Hodge would have probably known two years ago that he wasn't going to get the call up, and should have made that dirty little team down south his home, the team he calls his and the one he will become legendary within. There is more to playing for Australia, and he should have settled for the next best thing. I would give anything to play for my state, let alone my country.
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How are you going to back that comment up? yeah he may be retiring from first class cricket but he has played for his state more than a little bit, don't you think?

Simple fact is that Hussey should recognise himself as an undeserving member of the team and the bloke who has the talent and form to fill the number 4 spot has just accepted continual ignorance of the selectros. After all he was dropped from the test side for the return of Martin who retired not long after.
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

Thumbs up;378141 said:
How are you going to back that comment up? yeah he may be retiring from first class cricket but he has played for his state more than a little bit, don't you think?

Simple fact is that Hussey should recognise himself as an undeserving member of the team and the bloke who has the talent and form to fill the number 4 spot has just accepted continual ignorance of the selectros. After all he was dropped from the test side for the return of Martin who retired not long after.
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I'm talking from the article provided on this thread and the other quotes around from him.

I don't wish to have this sort of argument in a tribute thread.
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

Thumbs up;378141 said:
How are you going to back that comment up? yeah he may be retiring from first class cricket but he has played for his state more than a little bit, don't you think?
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To be fair, this decision isn't really the mark of a 'team player' from Cricket Victoria's perspective. Three games into the the season, CV having publicly stated their ambition to win the treble, and he drops this bombshell with no warning. They now have to replace their best and most experienced batsman at short notice, midseason.

It's a pretty selfish decision considering this is a state that gave him a go as a teenager and backed him 100% through all 16 years of his first class career.
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

Caesar;378168 said:
To be fair, this decision isn't really the mark of a 'team player' from Cricket Victoria's perspective. Three games into the the season, and CV having publicly stated their ambition to win the treble, and he drops this bombshell with no warning. They now have to replace their best and most experienced batsman midseason.

It's a pretty selfish decision considering this is a state that gave him a go as a teenager and backed him 100% through all 16 years of his first class career.
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It's up to him and he may feel Cricket Victoria have treated him badly as well. As the other thread says, Victoria doesn't deserve any international representatives.
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

Boris;378170 said:
It's up to him and he may feel Cricket Victoria have treated him badly as well.
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Oh, I'm sure when his book comes out he'll find something uncharitable to say about them - probably have a whinge about never being made captain or something. He doesn't seem to have a good word for anybody.

Boris;378170 said:
As the other thread says, Victoria doesn't deserve any international representatives.
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I don't think that any of the complaints highlighted in that thread apply to Hodge. He has always been given every opportunity by his state, both as a young player and as a mature one. He's pushing 35 and his time has gone by as far as national team selection goes, but there's never been a suggestion of uncertainty about his contract being renewed.

Compare that to the way players like Greg Blewett and Michael Bevan were discarded by their teams, to name just two. For him to leave his side in the lurch without warning, not even a third of way through the season, when he's probably their most integral player is pretty poor.
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

Caesar;378173 said:
I don't think that any of the complaints highlighted in that thread apply to Hodge. He has always been given every opportunity by his state, both as a young player and as a mature one. He's pushing 35 and his time has gone by as far as national team selection goes, but there's never been a suggestion of uncertainty about his contract being renewed.

Compare that to the way players like Greg Blewett and Michael Bevan were discarded by their teams. For him to leave his side in the lurch without warning, not even a third of way through the season, when he's probably the most integral player is pretty poor.
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Agree with you there.

I could have something to do with his family or something else. A lot of players decide to retire at age 35, especially if they are in great form at the time, finish at their prime, that sort of thing.
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

Caesar;378168 said:
To be fair, this decision isn't really the mark of a 'team player' from Cricket Victoria's perspective. Three games into the the season, CV having publicly stated their ambition to win the treble, and he drops this bombshell with no warning. They now have to replace their best and most experienced batsman at short notice, midseason.

It's a pretty selfish decision considering this is a state that gave him a go as a teenager and backed him 100% through all 16 years of his first class career.
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A little selfish decision is not so bad, given that the realisation may have sunk in that the "fill your boots" summer of 09-10 would mean the end of any chance of the test side being picked on talent and form.

It is likely that there are many factors behind this. He owes little to Victorian Cricket, the ledger is pretty even here (maybe a bit of debt in the other direction)
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

Thumbs up;378175 said:
He owes little to Victorian Cricket, the ledger is pretty even here (maybe a bit of debt in the other direction)
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I don't agree with that at all. In a 16 year career CV have done everything for him bar handing him the captaincy, and this kind of decision shows exactly why he never deserved it.

He should have retired before the beginning of the season, or waited to the end. He hasn't cited any pressing reasons requiring an urgent retirement, he gave no warning, and he couldn't have picked a worse time even if he was deliberately trying to screw his teammates over.
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

Caesar;378178 said:
I don't agree with that at all. In a 16 year career CV have done everything for him bar handing him the captaincy, and this kind of decision shows exactly why he never deserved it.

He should have retired before the beginning of the season, or waited to the end. He hasn't cited any pressing reasons requiring an urgent retirement, he gave no warning, and he couldn't have picked a worse time even if he was deliberately trying to screw his teammates over.
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You are drawing a pretty long bow here. Lets be fair he may have numerous reasons for retiring which he has not stated publicly, you don't know.

oh yeah how did you feel about martins retirement?
 
Re: Brad Hodge to retire from First Class cricket

Thumbs up;378179 said:
You are drawing a pretty long bow here. Lets be fair he may have numerous reasons for retiring which he has not stated publicly, you don't know.

oh yeah how did you feel about martins retirement?
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Martin retired because he had Hussey and Symonds pushing from behind and he knew he was only going to get pushed back to state so he wanted to finish on top.
 
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