Kim Hughes’ demise a crying shame

Hard to believe it’s 25 years since Kim Hughes broke down at a press conference at the Gabba while announcing his resignation from the Australian captaincy.

Mike Coward relives the moment in The Australian.

Kids today are so used to Australia winning they can’t relate to the turmoil that existed in cricket at that time.

The establishment had just been reunited with the World Series rebels and it was an unhappy alliance.

Hughes was the favorite son of the old school, but never won acceptance from the WSC professionals like Ian Chappell, Rod Marsh and Dennis Lillee.

He was a marvellous batsman though.

The other nations were stronger then than they are today, especially West Indies, Pakistan and New Zealand.

Allan Border was my favorite cricketer and he was Hughes’ deputy at the time of the meltdown. He subsequently became the reluctant skipper and set about reviving Australian cricket.

Coward writes: Border, who was destined to succeed Hughes and spend 10 years building a foundation for the future prosperity of Australian cricket, realised something was amiss with Hughes earlier in 1984 in the Caribbean. Indeed, he is on record as saying he returned to the team hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica to find Hughes half cut with his hair braided and watching cartoons on television. “I thought then: Kim, you’ve lost the plot.”

Seeing Hughes cry on national television was a moving experience. People didn’t know how to take it. A bit like the abdication of Edward VIII.

I think he lost a lot of support, not for the act of crying, but for walking away from the disaster and compounding the crisis.

Border didn’t want the captaincy. I recall speculation that David Hookes might be given the job.

Although it was a rough time for Australian cricket, it was also the turning point that began the rebuilding process — one of those unforgettable moments that sport throws up occasionally.

• Audio blog (phlog)