Richard Hadlee

New Zealand legend Sir Richard Hadlee has revealed that the underarm delivery by Australia’s Trevor Chappell in a one-day match in 1981 was the worst sporting moment in his career spanning 1973-1990.

The following are excerpts

On earliest sporting memory

Playing with cricket balls, a rugby ball, footballs or hockey sticks with four brothers in the backyard. We all learnt to pick up a ball and throw it early on in life. My first memory of a major sporting event was my dad, Walter, who had captained New Zealand in Test cricket and was retired, coming back to play for Canterbury against Fiji in about 1960 in an exhibition match. In the first innings he got a standing ovation on the way out, got out for nought and got a standing ovation all the way back to the pavilion.

On sports watched

When I went over to play county cricket for Notts, Nottingham Forest were European champions, so I watched them a bit. As a New Zealander, rugby union ranks very highly, but so too, for me, does rugby league. I watch most of the golf majors these days, too.

On sports played

Everything from a young age, and quite a lot of soccer alongside cricket at school, where I was a goalkeeper. These days I play a bit of golf, too.

On the toughest part of your sporting life

The Hadlee background. I’d like to think that even though I came from a Hadlee background, I got there on merit. Then, in the early Eighties, I had a period of depression, a real low in my life. It was probably a symptom of the heart problem I had later. In 1991 I had an open heart surgery. They found a birth defect had left me with an irregular heartbeat.

On most memorable sporting moment

Being a member of the first New Zealand side to beat England, in 1978 at the Basin Reserve — with Geoffrey Boycott as England captain. It was our first win after 50 years and 50 Tests against England. There was also a series win over the West Indies in 1980, and beating Australia in 1985, for the first time in Australia.

On worst sporting moment

The underarm delivery by Australia’s Trevor Chappell in a one-day match in 1981. We needed six off the last ball to tie the game, and his underarm delivery — within the rules, but perhaps not within the spirit of the game — became part of folklore. That said, I admire the mental toughness of the Australians.

On sporting heroes

Pele, Cassius Clay, Garry Sobers, and in the modern era Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, John McEnroe and Pete Sampras.

On favourite stadiums

Adelaide, one of the most beautiful grounds; Lord’s, because of the great history and tradition there; the old Gabba, with a dog track around its embankment, had real atmosphere.

On whether he would have taken as much pleasure from the game today

It’s difficult to say. The game is played with a lot more pace: more results in Tests, more Test teams, weaker teams than there were in some cases, Twenty20 World Cups, Champions Trophy, more pressure, more money — players don’t seem to get a lot of ‘down time’, relaxation.

On whether former allrounders — Imran Khan, Ian Botham, Kapil Dev — would have enjoyed this kind of cricket even more

Who knows? You do wonder how these guys would have fared. We had no sports science, diets or space-age suits. We played the day, had a bath, a pie and a pint, and then came back the next day.

On the greatest change you would like to see in the running of cricket

Total unity. A powerful body like the International Cricket Council should be controlling the game, and for the benefit of the game itself. We need everyone on the same wavelength.

On how do you think cricket is covered in the media

Television has to be responsible for the way they bring the game to the audience. Cameras zoom in, there are stump microphones, replays, and the media highlight controversial moments. Out in the middle is the players’ haven, and TV now invades every inch of that. We should not be looking for the negatives but should accept sport as a tough, emotional experience.

On sporting motto

A quitter never wins and a winner never quits.