Hick turns 40 ... with no plans to quit

Graeme Hick: 128 first-class hundreds ... and counting © Getty Images

Graeme Hick, who celebrates his 40th birthday on Tuesday, has told the Press Association that he has no immediate plans to retire. He is in the final year of his contract with Worcestershire, but said that when he finally quits depends on his form and hunger for the game.

"I'm not putting any date on things," he said. "It's not down to match by match but hopefully I'll have a good enough year for the club to want me to come back. If I'm still playing well enough, that's fine. If I have a bad season, then obviously it is time to go.

"One day I'll just get out of bed and come down to the ground and think 'I've had enough'. Whether that comes in July, August, September or while in a gym in October, who knows, but I've always hoped that's the way it will happen. Then I will feel that I've no regrets about giving up.

"People always say 'you are a long time retired' so I do hope it comes that way and I think 'I've had enough'. That way I'll find it easier to pack in and enjoy the moment of packing in and count myself fortunate for what I've had from over 20 years in the game."

"I'm an emotional person and I am sure it would be more difficult to enjoy my cricket if I knew this was going to be my last season. That would be in my mind. But I've approached this season as if there are still years left for me."

Although Hick never fulfilled his potential as a Test player, he has continued to score heavily in first-class cricket. He has, however, had a low-key start to the 2006 season with only 70 runs at 11.66 in three matches.

In 65 Tests, Hick scored 3383 runs at 31.32, but in first-class cricket he has a much better record, with his 38,507 runs coming at 52.46 each, inlcuding 128 centuries. He has also picked up 232 wickets with his gentle - and often underused - offspin.