January 19 2025, represented the 21st anniversary of David Hookes’ passing.
If you look at his stats there’s nothing remarkable there; 23 Tests and only one century and that’s against the 1983 version of Sri Lanka.
He also played 39 one-day games and no centuries.
David was quoted as saying he never got the big deal over centuries. His record backs that up.
(Photo by Getty Images)
Yet David Hookes was something else. He was a player who inspired kids to pick up a bat and fall in love with the game, his twin scoop bat the sporting equal of Excalibur.
He was the introductory drug to a great sport. He had character, style and pure batting charisma. That summer of 82/83 he was on fire.
He punched out the fastest legitimate first-class century of all time. The lightning continued during the Tests and one-day games against England and New Zealand.
Then his career just kind of peters out. He was the poster boy of World Series Cricket, got his jaw busted and had a very good 1978/79 season of WSC against some of the best bowlers the world has ever seen.
He took on the attacks of the World XI and the West Indies and doubled the home averages that season of the Chappell brothers.
Not bad at all. He was very weak technically against spin and I would assume Hooksey did things his way and any advice was either ignored or a very polite ‘F-off’.
When Hooksey was on song you had to admire the sheer arrogance.
His name was Hookes and the hook shot came out.
Imagine a dour England player with the name of Hookes.
His cover drive and square cut were sights to behold and he was a run machine at the Adelaide over with its short boundaries.
(Photo by S&G/PA Images via Getty Images)
Hookes was a foot shooter and he’s the classic sliding doors moment man of Australian Cricket.
Here are four questions that I think about a lot:
1. What if he didn’t sign with WSC and stayed with the Establishment?
2. What if he didn’t say Kim Hughes shouldn’t be captain?
3. What if he defused the situation with that Bouncer at that Pub?
4. What if he took the advice and became a better player of off-spin?
No cricket player has dominated my thinking more than David.
Here’s just a small tribute to him and his legacy, which is worth more than any average over 50 for me.
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