MBE shocks Hick
Graeme Hick, who played 65 Tests for England, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List
Graeme Hick admitted he was taken by surprise after being awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
The Former Worcestershire batsman retired at the end of last season after a prolific county career in which he made 136 first-class centuries.
He scored 41,112 runs at an average of 52,23 in 526 matches, largely for Worcestershire – his only county – during 25 years at New Road.
“I am very honoured with the award,” said Hick. “It was not something I expected or set out to achieve.
“You dream of things and after 25 years it is nice to have that sort of recognition.”
While Hick was among the most prolific batsman of his generation in domestic cricket, he failed to reproduce his form on the international stage.
He averaged a modest 31.32 after scoring 3,083 runs in 65 Tests for England from 1991 to 2000, in addition to 3,846 runs in 120 ODIs at an average of 37.33.
“My international career will be a discussion that other people can go on about,” he added.
Hick hit an astonishing 136 first-class centuries during a prolific 25-year career
“I performed inconsistently - I can’t change what has happened. Of course, I would have liked to have done a little bit better but I don’t think my Test career was an absolute nightmare.”
Hick insisted he was not missing playing cricket and that many of his memories of the game are not related to his time in the middle.
He said: “I am not missing playing cricket at all; I’ve got it out of my system totally, I know that.
“Even towards the end of last season I was looking forward to retiring. I knew I’d had enough.
“What are the highlights? There are the successful times you have as a team, the friendships, and opening the new New Road pavilion last weekend, which has been named after me, is something that will stay with me for a long time.
“I take more out of the other side of cricket rather than just the cricket. It is what it gives you: the friendships, the fun, the laughter, the good side of things.
“Yes, I enjoyed my cricket, had some good times, but your memories of 25 years don’t revolve around facts and figures at the end of it.
“It is being able to go always back to the ground, see the faces and friends and things like that.”
Hick helped Worcestershire win the County Championship twice, the Sunday League three times, the Benson and Hedges Cup and the NatWest Trophy.
