Kim Hughes

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FreoGirl

FreoGirl

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I have a rare opportunity to interview my childhood hero, Kim Hughes, as part of an oral history assignment at uni.

I'm pretty overwhelmed and intimidated, but obviously excited.

I would love some ideas on what to ask him. I don't want to concentrate on any of the obvious negatives surrounding his career and hope to embrace the positives.

I have some ideas of my own, but would love to hear some suggestions from others who enjoyed Hughes' career. Keep in mind, my research has to have historical meaning. Some of the obvious areas include comparing modern cricket to 80s cricket (the use of social media and the internet), the amount of cricket played today, the future of Test cricket, traveling with partners and families etc.

I've read most of The Golden Boy, a couple of Justin Langer's books, have a bundle of newspaper clippings from the early 80's - Ponting also makes a few mentions of him in his massive autobiography.
 
Ask him about how difficult it was for him to return to mainstream cricket after the rebel tour.
Ask him why after churning out many runs for his local club Subiaco Floreat why WA kept refusing to pick him.
Ask him basic things like quickest bowler he faced, what he regarded as his best innings, how difficult it was playing against the Windies in that era.

Hope this helps
 

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Could ask him how he sees the status of cricket (club level as well as the state and international game) embedded in Aussie culture, is it held to be as important in the 80s compared to now or vica versa.

Or even about sport in general as regards the above.

Rebel tour stuff definitely - especially about how they were treated both in SA and in Aus and any political after-effects.

I really enjoy listening to him talk about batting but that's not of historical meaning. Good luck, he has very strong opinions, I hope you can get good material from him.
 
Doodlesweaver said:
Could ask him how he sees the status of cricket (club level as well as the state and international game) embedded in Aussie culture, is it held to be as important in the 80s compared to now or vica versa.

Or even about sport in general as regards the above.

Rebel tour stuff definitely - especially about how they were treated both in SA and in Aus and any political after-effects.

I really enjoy listening to him talk about batting but that's not of historical meaning. Good luck, he has very strong opinions, I hope you can get good material from him.
Click to expand...


I'm trying to be cautious - when the author of the Golden Boy tried to get info from Kim on anything controversial he was shut down - love your first question
 
Golden Boy is a great book. Presented both sides of the story very well.

Perhaps something about the Miracle Match? From Ian Brayshaw's book the young Hughes ended up having a pretty massive night of it so might not remember too much of the actual match.

Don't get him started on chuckers.
 
Ask him what it was like to have spectators being able to access the arena to throw the balls back or after the game, ask him if he ever feared for his safety etc
 
The_Reaper said:
He's still involved with coaching at Hale isn't he?

Ask him about junior batsmen and how their development has changed compared to when he was coming through the system.
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Yep - that's certainly on my list - also use of helmets, bats, foot work etc

Have been watching a lot of his old videos - he really was exceptional to watch
 
Ah good luck, I don't really have any questions other than those already offered.

I'm interested in what his answers will be though. Will you be able to let us know?

Edit: Stupid me didn't read the above post haha, but what a great opportunity...hope it goes well for u
 

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Hellgood said:
Golden Boy is a great book. Presented both sides of the story very well.

Perhaps something about the Miracle Match? From Ian Brayshaw's book the young Hughes ended up having a pretty massive night of it so might not remember too much of the actual match.

Don't get him started on chuckers.
Click to expand...
An Ian Brayshaw book would be interesting
 
I would be interested to know whether he was ever offered an English county cricket contract, and if so, what factors made him decide not to accept. Which county/counties made him an offer, and was he offered captaincy?
 
Possible question could be whether he rates batsmen playing prior to the incorporation of the helmet higher than those after? Ask him which players from his era would have the greatest success playing in the modern era? Ask him which decade of cricket had the best cricketers?
 
Ask him how he felt both now and then about being targeted by the Windies - was it because they knew he was our best bat or because they sensed some mental weakness there. Had they been tipped of by players within our setup from the WSC era? His century against them at the MCG was the best I have ever seen - they went after him ruthlessly from that day on.
 
greatwhiteshark said:
Ask him about how difficult it was for him to return to mainstream cricket after the rebel tour.
Ask him why after churning out many runs for his local club Subiaco Floreat why WA kept refusing to pick him.
Ask him basic things like quickest bowler he faced, what he regarded as his best innings, how difficult it was playing against the Windies in that era.

Hope this helps
Click to expand...

After he went on the South African rebel tour, him and the rest of the rebel players were banned for a few years from playing for Australia or their state teams, they were only allowed to play club cricket.

I was playing junior cricket for Subi Floreat back then and both Kim and Terry Alderman, who was also on the rebel tour, would often come down to training early to help coach the juniors as we trained before the senior guys trained.

Kim is a great guy to chat to, very down to earth and personable with a good sense of humour, he obviously knows his s**t when it comes to batting and is quite knowledgeable about the game in general. I don't think he likes to talk too much about the negatives surrounding his career though, like the spats he had with the Chappells, Marsh and Lillee. I think they've all made up now and are mates so he doesn't want to dig up old grudges again.

I guess one question I'd like to ask him was whether he regretted joining the rebel tour as it basically ended his Australian cricket career, with Australian cricket being at such a low ebb in the mid to late 80s you would think he would have been given a recall at some point as he was Australia's best and most experienced test batsman at the time along with Allan Border.

It really was a bit of a tragedy his test career ended prematurely the way it did, he deserved better.
 
Plugger35 said:
After he went on the South African rebel tour, him and the rest of the rebel players were banned for a few years from playing for Australia or their state teams, they were only allowed to play club cricket.

I was playing junior cricket for Subi Floreat back then and both Kim and Terry Alderman, who was also on the rebel tour, would often come down to training early to help coach the juniors as we trained before the senior guys trained.

Kim is a great guy to chat to, very down to earth and personable with a good sense of humour, he obviously knows his s**t when it comes to batting and is quite knowledgeable about the game in general. I don't think he likes to talk too much about the negatives surrounding his career though, like the spats he had with the Chappells, Marsh and Lillee. I think they've all made up now and are mates so he doesn't want to dig up old grudges again.

I guess one question I'd like to ask him was whether he regretted joining the rebel tour as it basically ended his Australian cricket career, with Australian cricket being at such a low ebb in the mid to late 80s you would think he would have been given a recall at some point as he was Australia's best and most experienced test batsman at the time along with Allan Border.

It really was a bit of a tragedy his test career ended prematurely the way it did, he deserved better.
Click to expand...

I actually played with him in that senior Subi side. Tom hogan was also in that side. Terry alderman got back into the state side but Kim didn't which was political.
We had a super side then with the likes of Alderman, Hughes, Hogan, Breman, Gonalla, Bush etc. Was like playing for the state and we won the 87/88 penant easily.
 
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