David Hookes
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | David William Hookes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Prahran, Melbourne, Australia | 3 May 1955|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | Hookesy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Left-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Role | Middle-order batter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National side |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Test debut (cap 276) | 12 March 1977 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Test | 26 December 1985 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ODI debut (cap 32) | 2 June 1977 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last ODI | 12 January 1986 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1975/76–1991/92 | South Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Cricinfo, 19 January 2004 |
David William Hookes (3 May 1955 – 19 January 2004) was an Australian
For many years, he was a leading figure in Australian domestic cricket, most notably in his role as captain of
An outspoken man who had several brushes with the game's officials, Hookes retired at the end of the 1991–92 season and pursued his media career. He moved to Melbourne in 1995 and broadcast on Radio 3AW. His popularity among players and his reputation for strong leadership led to his appointment as coach of the Victorian team in 2002. The team enjoyed success under his tutelage. He died after being punched by a hotel bouncer outside a pub where he had been drinking with Victorian players following their victory in a match earlier in the day.
Cricket career
Hookes grew up in
David Hookes made his first-class debut in 1975–76 for South Australia. A rush of form in February 1977, when he scored five centuries from six innings in 17 days, led to his selection for the Centenary Test in March, 1977, at the age of 21.
Test debut and WSC
During Australia's second innings of the match, Hookes made 56, and hit Tony Greig for five consecutive boundaries. Soon after, he signed a contract with World Series Cricket (WSC) and then toured England. Playing all five Tests, Hookes compiled 283 runs at 31.44, with scores of 85 at The Oval and 50 at Lord's.
Australian Captain Ian Chappell described World Series Cricket (WSC) as the toughest cricket he ever played (with all the best players in the world involved)[5]
Hookes was one of the key personalities marketed by the breakaway WSC organisation. In a Supertest at the Sydney Showground in 1977, a bouncer from Andy Roberts broke his jaw, and his confidence never fully recovered from the injury. Nevertheless, he was the third-best performed Australian batsman behind Ian and Greg Chappell with 770 runs (at 38.5 average) across the Supertests played during the 1977–78 / 78-79 and was in fact the best performed Australian batsmen across the 1978–79 Supertests with 392 runs (at 56 average).[6] His future in the Australian team following the rapprochement between WSC and official cricket seemed assured.
Problems post-WSC
However, Hookes managed just one Test and two ODIs when injury curtailed his 1979–80 season. Returned to fitness, he
The
Last seasons
Hookes's performances were more subdued during the 1983 World Cup in England. Australia played poorly in the tournament. When the team returned home, Hookes criticised the team's captain,
Frustrated by Hookes's failure to turn regular starts into big scores, the Australian selectors ignored him for the next 18 months. He was not selected for the 1985 tour of England, although there had been an exodus of Australian players on a rebel tour of South Africa. His last international appearances were in 1985–86, when he played two Tests against both New Zealand and India, and two ODIs in the World Series Cup. Thereafter, Australia pursued a selection policy of giving prolonged opportunities to younger players and passing over older players with inconsistent records.
Domestic performances
Despite his failure to live up to expectations at the highest level, Hookes continued to captain South Australia until 1990, when he was sensationally sacked. In October 1982, Hookes thrashed a 43-minute, 34-ball century, which in some respects is the fastest hundred in first-class history.[9] On 7–8 March 1987, Hookes and
Hookes also formed a devastating partnership with fellow South Australian left-hander Darren Lehmann, the pair often entertaining spectators at the Adelaide Oval in Shield matches with their attacking play. In all first-class cricket, Hookes scored 12,671 runs in 178 matches at an average of 43.99.
Batting style
Hookes was an aggressive strokeplayer against fast bowling, and was known to play the hook shot effectively.[11] However he had problems playing spin. He was known as an "eye" player – or one who relied more on his eye than on sound batting technique.
After retirement
After his retirement, he became involved in the media, making appearances on television and hosting a radio programme on Melbourne radio station 3AW with fellow sportscaster Gerard Healy.
In 2002, he was selected as the new coach of the
During August 2003, Hookes was criticised by his employers, Cricket Victoria, after his comment in reference to Helen Cohen Alon, a South African woman who had claimed Australian cricketer Shane Warne had sexually harassed her via telephone. Commenting on her as "some dopey, hairy-backed sheila who has dobbed [Warne] in across the other side of the world. If that's what she wants to do to earn some cash that's her decision. Let's find out the facts before we hang Warney on this one".[12][13]
He accused the Australian selectors of bias towards players from New South Wales stating that "when they give out the baggy blue cap in New South Wales, they give you a baggy green one in a brown paper bag as well to save making two presentations."[14]
Personal life
Hookes married his childhood sweetheart and first wife Roxanne, but left her for his second wife, Robyn Gellman.[
Death
On the night of 18 January 2004, Hookes went to the Beaconsfield Hotel in West St Kilda, Melbourne, with members of the Victorian and South Australian cricket teams, including future Australian coach Darren Lehmann, to celebrate a win by the former over the latter in a one-day match. Christine Padfield was also with Hookes, as was a friend of Padfield's, Tania Plumpton. Soon after midnight, a brawl erupted between the party and hotel staff. There are conflicting stories about the reason. It seemed to have been generated by a "last drinks" call by hotel staff. It is also unclear whether the party left voluntarily or were forced to leave.
The hotel's security staff continued following the party for a short distance outside the hotel. In the altercation that followed, one of the bouncers,
A memorial service was held on
Mićević was charged with manslaughter. The death of Hookes generated public outrage, with numerous death threats being received by Mićević and his lawyers. Mićević's home was also subjected to an arson attack. Business at the Beaconsfield Hotel plummeted and the hotel closed its doors at the end of 2004.
During Mićević's trial, witnesses gave conflicting testimony of what occurred and who started the fight.[20] The jury acquitted Mićević.[21]
References
- ^ a b Cricinfo.com: David Hookes player profile.
- ^ David Hookes – Fastest first class century
- ^ "Hookes hurtles to a hundred". ESPN Cricinfo. 25 October 2005. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
- ^ Shiell, Alan (1993). Hookesy. Sydney: ABC Books. p. 9.
- ^ Burnett, Adam (25 November 2015). "Cricket Australia Recognises World Series Cricket Statistics". Cricket.com.au. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ Cricket Alight - World Series Cricket in Australia, New Zealand and the West Indies. Sydney - Auckland: Golden Press. 1979. p. 42.
- ^ Cricinfo – How good was David Hookes?
- ^ "Greenidge's final frenzy". ESPN Cricinfo. 12 April 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ Cricinfo – The 34-ball carnage
- ^ 1986/87 Hookes & Phillips
- ^ Cricinfo – Playing hooky
- ^ Cricinfo – Hookes puts his foot in it ...
- ^ Cricinfo – 'A dopey, hairy-backed sheila'
- ^ David Hookes Wisden Obituary
- ^ a b Australian Story – In the Midnight Hour
- ^ Fairfax Digital – Hinch defiant: I've done nothing wrong
- ^ SMH – Lehmann says bouncers 'chased' Hookes
- ^ Department of Health & Ageing – Flame of life ignites awareness of organ donation
- ^ a b Silence and applause: a cricketer's farewell for David Hookes – www.theage.com.au
- ^ "Hookes 'threw two punches' at bouncer". The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 November 2004. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
- ^ "Jury clears bouncer in Hookes case". www.abc.net.au. 12 September 2005. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
External links
- David Hookes at ESPNcricinfo
- David Hookes Foundation Archived 17 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine