Hoggy leaves the scene

Matthew Hoggard is retiring from the game.

I'm not sure he was well advised to go to Leics, but I suppose he needed to make up some money when Yorks went sour.

Farewell Hoggy - never the most tactful of people, but always one of the biggest-hearted of players. And of course an Ashes champ.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/story/670485.html

You mean Pigsy

The real Hoggy is still playing for the Scorchers ...long may he be able to get through 4 overs

Aye, fair play to Hoggy - Leics must've been a living nightmare for the entirety of his stay, but at least he's made a few quid. Top man.

The epitome of a hard working Test bowler. All heart. Well played, Mr Hoggard.

Should have had 300 Test wickets, always somewhat undervalued but the most reliable of that 2005 quartet who was harshly pushed aside when he probably had another couple of years left in him. Enjoy retirement Hoggy.

Farewell Hoggy. I'll remember the hat trick against the Windies in 2004, and some truly lion-hearted displays against South Africa later that same year. Much underrated. Statistically, pretty much on a par with Anderson (similar average and strike rate) yet doesn't even get half the plaudits. Ruthlessly dumped by Peter Moores, who was trying to be a 'big man who means business' when he took over as coach. Al he did was discard a fine bowler who still had a couple of years left in him.

Enjoy retirement, Hoggy.

And to add one final insult to injury in the summer following what proved to be his last Test appearance they needed a swing bowler at his home ground of Headingley and they overlooked him in favour of Darren Pattinson. That's when we knew the door had closed on him. Even though the attack at the time was lacking in quality and consistency.

Was there any issues other than on field form that kept him out of the side? Spoke his mind, didn't he. I wonder if he'd told Moores where to go when he was dumped in NZ.

Played.

Henry wrote:Was there any issues other than on field form that kept him out of the side? Spoke his mind, didn't he. I wonder if he'd told Moores where to go when he was dumped in NZ.

Quite possibly. Anyway a fine bowler with an impressive record and a thoroughly decent bloke by all accounts. Good luck to him.

Did a bit of radio commentary here on the last England tour. I enjoyed him despite the strange accent.

taipan wrote:Did a bit of radio commentary here on the last England tour. I enjoyed him despite the strange accent.

Sadly confined to gigs like Celebrity Masterchef over here. Hopefully Sky or TMS will use him now.

Well played, never understood his dropping from England or even Yorkshire.

It was really sad how Hoggard's career fizzled out, he seemed to go from being a stalwart to a has-been in about 2 weeks.

Has another England player with such a solid record of service been so harshly dropped? Robin Smith maybe?

Thorpe was also harshly axed, but he was 35 and with a dodgy back, so he was only dropped 5 Tests before what would have been a potential retirement.

Hoggard was 31 years and 2 months old when he was dropped - compare with how many last chances Harmison had.

His seven-fer on a swing bowler's nightmare at Adelaide against the rampant Australians was one of the most quietly impressive performances I've ever seen.