Merv Hughes says he can’t ever repay his debt to cricket, following his induction into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.
A menacing fast bowler with a handlebar moustache, Hughes claimed 212 wickets in 53 Tests for Australia.
“What cricket has done for me… I can’t get anywhere close to repaying it,” he said on SEN's Time On.
“The mateships I’ve got from it, the experiences we had on tour.
“You mightn’t see them for five years but when you catch up, it’s like yesterday. The bond that we’ve got, you’re never going to break it.”
He was notified of his recognition by the Australian Cricketers Association back in November, and had to keep it in the family until this week.
“It was pretty hard keeping it to myself, I just wanted to tell everyone!” he laughed.
“If you have a look at the names in there, as an individual you look at that and think ‘I don’t measure up to that.’
“To be identified for that contribution you gave to cricket and be recognised all these years later, I couldn’t be happier.”
Hughes says he was driven by wanting to repay the faith he was shown by Australian selectors and leaders.
“I used to sit back and look at the stress Allan Border was under as captain, Bob Simpson was under as coach and occasionally the selectors,” he recalled.
“If you had a bad day, it wasn’t just yourself you let down, you let down your teammates, the captain and the coach.
“They were fantastic leaders, you would’ve crawled over broken glass for them.”
Hughes was a cult figure in his playing days, particularly in Melbourne where fans would imitate his warm-up stretches while he fielded in the deep.
“A Victorian boy in the Australian team fielding in (front of) Bay 13, it doesn’t get any better.”