News

Graeme Hick receives MBE

Graeme Hick, the former England batsman and the most prolific scorer in all cricket, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours this year

Cricinfo staff
13-Jun-2009
Graeme Hick: "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"  •  Getty Images

Graeme Hick: "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"  •  Getty Images

Graeme Hick, the former England batsman and the most prolific scorer in all cricket, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours this year.
Hick, who announced his retirement from the game at the end of the 2008 season at 42, averaged 31.32 from 65 Tests and 52.23 from 526 first-class matches in a career that spanned 25 years.
"I am very honoured with the award," Hick said. "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."
Hick was considered something on an international enigma, having underachieved in contrast to his county career. His tally of 136 first-class hundreds places him eighth in the all-time list. Hick said while he had performed inconsistently in international cricket, he didn't consider his Test career "an absolute nightmare". "My international career will be a discussion that other people can go on about. I performed inconsistently I can't change what has happened."
Hick said he wasn't missing cricket nine months into retirement. "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." He said the naming of a New Road pavilion after him in his county ground in Worcestershire last weekend was a special moment.
"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. "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."
Charlotte Edwards, the England women's captain, also got an MBE while Roy Torrens, a former Ireland player and team manager, received an OBE.