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Brad Hogg

BradleyHogg (cropped)
BradleyHogg (cropped) Image: Wikimedia Commons. BradleyHogg.jpg: Deon Maritz from Cape Town, South Africa derivative work: IgnorantArmies / CC BY 2.0

George Bradley "Brad" Hogg (born 6 February 1971) is a former Australian cricketer who represented Australia across all three formats of the international game. A left-arm wrist spin bowler and lower-order left-handed batsman, Hogg is regarded as one of the most successful spin bowlers in Australia's One Day International (ODI) history. After retiring from international cricket in 2008, he made a notable comeback in Twenty20 cricket and went on to build a parallel career as a cricket commentator and media personality.

Key facts

Full name George Bradley Hogg
Date of birth 6 February 1971
Nationality Australian
Bowling style Left-arm wrist spin (chinaman)
Batting style Left-handed (lower order)
International retirement 4 March 2008
ICC titles won 2003 Cricket World Cup, 2006 ICC Champions Trophy, 2007 Cricket World Cup
Autobiography The Wrong'Un (with Greg Growden), November 2016

International career

Hogg played for Australia across Test, ODI and Twenty20 International formats. His earlier international career received fresh impetus in 2003, when the absence of leg-spinner Shane Warne—following a suspension after a drugs test and Warne's subsequent retirement from one-day cricket—opened up a regular place in the Australian limited-overs side. Hogg went on to become Australia's eleventh most successful ODI bowler and the third most successful spinner for the country in terms of ODI wickets.

During his time with the national team, Hogg was part of three major ICC trophy-winning sides: the 2003 Cricket World Cup, the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy, and the 2007 Cricket World Cup. He retired from international cricket on 4 March 2008, at the conclusion of the 2007–08 Commonwealth Bank Series.

Twenty20 comeback

In a surprise return to top-flight cricket, Hogg featured in the inaugural edition of the Big Bash League in 2011. His performances in the shortest format made him a cult figure in T20 cricket and earned him recalls to the Australian squad for the 2012 and 2014 ICC World Twenty20 tournaments. He also picked up Twenty20 contracts in leagues around the world. Hogg is the only player aged over 40 to have taken 100 wickets in the T20 format.

Significance

Hogg is significant in Australian cricket as a specialist left-arm wrist spinner—a comparatively rare bowling type—who succeeded at the highest level during an era dominated by Shane Warne. His longevity in T20 cricket, returning to the international side in his forties, also made him an unusual example of an extended career across generations of the game.

Media and writing

Hogg released his autobiography, The Wrong'Un, co-written with journalist Greg Growden, in November 2016. Alongside his playing commitments in T20 leagues, he has built a career as a cricket commentator and is recognised as a popular figure in cricket media.

References