Alan Hurst (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Alan George Hurst is a former Australia
n cricket
er who played in twelve Tests
and eight ODIs between 1975 and 1979. A muscular, broad-shouldered man with a shock of dark hair and a big moustache, Alan Hurst fit the archetype of Australian fast bowler, 1970s style.
In only his second first class season, Hurst played a single Test in Adelaide during a series against New Zealand where the selectors were “experimenting” heavily in anticipation of the Ashes series later in the year. He captured the wicket of the Kiwis’ star bat Glenn Turner
, but wasn't selected to make the trip across the Tasman for the return series a few weeks later, despite a request from Australian skipper Ian Chappell
that he do so. Chappell considered Hurst the fastest bowler in the country with Dennis Lillee
sidelined by a severe back injury. The rise of Jeff Thomson
during the Ashes series later in 1974 pushed Hurst further down the pecking order in the hunt for a baggy green cap. Hurst was still in the thoughts of the selectors and he was given a place on the 1975 tour to England that included the inaugural World Cup. Again, in the shadow of the Lillee-Thomson combination, Hurst didn’t play a Test or an ODI.
Hurst’s next flirtation with international representation came in early 1976 when he toured South Africa with Richie Benaud
’s International Wanderers team. Opening with Dennis Lillee, the strapping Victorian lost nothing by comparison as far as pace was concerned. However, Hurst’s injury problems looked set to sentence him to one-cap/one-wicket status until the advent of World Series Cricket
(WSC). After knocking back a contract with the rebel organisation, Hurst was selected for the entire Ashes series during the summer of 1978-79. In six Tests, he grabbed 25 wickets and formed an opening partnership with debutant Rodney Hogg
that rivalled Lillee-Thomson for potency. Even though Australia was hammered 5-1, the England players were full of praise for Hurst, whose sustained pace and stamina impressed those who had previously believed him to be physically suspect.
Hurst then blew Pakistan away in the second Test with nine wickets on the fast Perth pitch. Selected to go England for the second World Cup in 1979, Hurst had a reasonable tour but it was the trip to India in October of that year that proved fateful. After going wicketless in two Tests, Hurst was forced to return home due to a serious back injury. Faced with potential incapacitation in later life if he continued to play, Hurst opted to retire from all cricket. He played again briefly for Victoria in 1980-81. In first class cricket, he captured 280 wickets at 26.28 with a best performance of eight for 84.
Hurst was an athletic man in the outfield who bowled with an elaborate, “winding” delivery stride that generated real pace. He was a terrible batsman, scoring 10 ducks in 20 Test innings. In the 1978-79 Ashes series, he set a record by scoring two pairs. The only truly controversial incident of his career happened in the 1979 Perth test when Alan Hurst ran out Pakistan’s number eleven batsman Sikander Bakht
at the bowler's end as Bakht was backing up too far - the fourth such instance in Test cricket. Later in the day, Australian batsman Andrew Hilditch
was given out after an appeal for handled the ball and became the only non-striker to have suffered that decision. Hilditch picked up a wayward throw that had dribbled onto the pitch and handed the ball back to Sarfraz Nawaz
who appealed and the umpire had to give him out. This incident was in retaliation for Hurst’s actions. The brief series was one of the most bad-tempered in history, caused in part by Pakistan’s decision to play their WSC-contracted men.
In 2004, Hurst was appointed as an ICC Test match referee and made his debut in the position during a match between Bangladesh and New Zealand at Dhaka.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played in twelve Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
and eight ODIs between 1975 and 1979. A muscular, broad-shouldered man with a shock of dark hair and a big moustache, Alan Hurst fit the archetype of Australian fast bowler, 1970s style.
In only his second first class season, Hurst played a single Test in Adelaide during a series against New Zealand where the selectors were “experimenting” heavily in anticipation of the Ashes series later in the year. He captured the wicket of the Kiwis’ star bat Glenn Turner
Glenn Turner
Glenn Maitland Turner played cricket for New Zealand and was one of the country's best and most prolific batsmen. He is the current head of the New Zealand Cricket selection panel....
, but wasn't selected to make the trip across the Tasman for the return series a few weeks later, despite a request from Australian skipper Ian Chappell
Ian Chappell
Ian Michael Chappell is a former cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. He captained Australia between 1971 and 1975 before taking a central role in the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation...
that he do so. Chappell considered Hurst the fastest bowler in the country with Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
sidelined by a severe back injury. The rise of Jeff Thomson
Jeff Thomson
Jeffrey Robert Thomson is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he was one of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket and was the opening partner of fellow fast bowler Dennis Lillee; their combination was one of the most fearsome in Test cricket history...
during the Ashes series later in 1974 pushed Hurst further down the pecking order in the hunt for a baggy green cap. Hurst was still in the thoughts of the selectors and he was given a place on the 1975 tour to England that included the inaugural World Cup. Again, in the shadow of the Lillee-Thomson combination, Hurst didn’t play a Test or an ODI.
Hurst’s next flirtation with international representation came in early 1976 when he toured South Africa with Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
’s International Wanderers team. Opening with Dennis Lillee, the strapping Victorian lost nothing by comparison as far as pace was concerned. However, Hurst’s injury problems looked set to sentence him to one-cap/one-wicket status until the advent of World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket was a break away professional cricket competition staged between 1977 and 1979 and organised by Kerry Packer for his Australian television network, Nine Network. The matches ran in opposition to established international cricket...
(WSC). After knocking back a contract with the rebel organisation, Hurst was selected for the entire Ashes series during the summer of 1978-79. In six Tests, he grabbed 25 wickets and formed an opening partnership with debutant Rodney Hogg
Rodney Hogg
Rodney Malcolm Hogg is a former Victorian, South Australian and Australian cricketer. He was a fast bowler. Hogg played in 38 Tests and 71 ODIs between 1978 and 1985. In Tests he took 123 wickets at an average of 28.47.-Career:...
that rivalled Lillee-Thomson for potency. Even though Australia was hammered 5-1, the England players were full of praise for Hurst, whose sustained pace and stamina impressed those who had previously believed him to be physically suspect.
Hurst then blew Pakistan away in the second Test with nine wickets on the fast Perth pitch. Selected to go England for the second World Cup in 1979, Hurst had a reasonable tour but it was the trip to India in October of that year that proved fateful. After going wicketless in two Tests, Hurst was forced to return home due to a serious back injury. Faced with potential incapacitation in later life if he continued to play, Hurst opted to retire from all cricket. He played again briefly for Victoria in 1980-81. In first class cricket, he captured 280 wickets at 26.28 with a best performance of eight for 84.
Hurst was an athletic man in the outfield who bowled with an elaborate, “winding” delivery stride that generated real pace. He was a terrible batsman, scoring 10 ducks in 20 Test innings. In the 1978-79 Ashes series, he set a record by scoring two pairs. The only truly controversial incident of his career happened in the 1979 Perth test when Alan Hurst ran out Pakistan’s number eleven batsman Sikander Bakht
Sikander Bakht (cricketer)
Sikander Bakht is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in 26 Tests and 27 ODIs from 1976 to 1989. He is remembered for demolishing the Indian team for just 126 runs taking 8 wickets in the innings in the 2nd Test match of the 1979 tour of Pakistan to India.He was included in the team in place...
at the bowler's end as Bakht was backing up too far - the fourth such instance in Test cricket. Later in the day, Australian batsman Andrew Hilditch
Andrew Hilditch
Andrew Mark Jefferson Hilditch is a former Australian cricketer who played in 18 Tests and 8 ODIs from 1979 to 1985. He played for New South Wales from 1977 to 1981 and for South Australia from 1982 to 1992...
was given out after an appeal for handled the ball and became the only non-striker to have suffered that decision. Hilditch picked up a wayward throw that had dribbled onto the pitch and handed the ball back to Sarfraz Nawaz
Sarfraz Nawaz
Sarfraz Nawaz Malik is a former Pakistani Test cricketer and politician who discovered reverse swing and was instrumental in Pakistan's first Test series victories over India and England. Between 1969 and 1984 he played 55 Tests and 45 One Day Internationals and was Imran Khan's regular new ball...
who appealed and the umpire had to give him out. This incident was in retaliation for Hurst’s actions. The brief series was one of the most bad-tempered in history, caused in part by Pakistan’s decision to play their WSC-contracted men.
In 2004, Hurst was appointed as an ICC Test match referee and made his debut in the position during a match between Bangladesh and New Zealand at Dhaka.