The Brad Hodge mystery
Why did Brad Hodge only ever play six Tests
Brydon Coverdale
25-Feb-2013
Why did Brad Hodge only ever play six Tests? It's a question that has never been answered satisfactorily, writes Ron Reed in the Herald Sun.
No one in authority ever explained why he was so out of favour, at least not publicly. It remains one of the game's modern mysteries. Test captain Ricky Ponting insisted only a fortnight ago: "I don't think his playing days for Australia are over by any stretch of the imagination."
Hodge's exit comes as a shock, but he did say two weeks ago that once the time was right he wouldn't be hanging around filling a spot that could be occupied by potential Australian players. At almost 35, he is putting the game first and, for that, should be applauded.
Hodge has now retired from first-class cricket and Martin Blake in the Age looks back on the influence that Dean Jones had on Hodge in his younger days.
He wanted to be like Dean Jones, his new hero. He tacked a photo of Jones to his bedroom wall and it was still there when he was picked to play for his state at 18, under Jones' captaincy. ''In my mind, he's still the greatest Victorian batsman I've played with or watched or seen,'' said Hodge. ''He's the 'Legend' for a reason.'' Jones, the spruiker, took him on as a mentor. ''He was the mechanic behind teaching me the art of first-class cricket. He was such a great person to listen to, too, because he was happy to tell you!''
Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets here