Merv Hughes

So captain, both stubborn as each other versus captain.

The crowd got behind it, but there's this classic scene which changed the landscape of Wanderers forever, and that was Merv Hughes coming up through the dugout, through the-

Oh, yeah

...

Australia had only managed 289 and we felt all was going to plan.

That first innings at Old Trafford Then Merv Hughes and his handlebar moustache Dismissed poor Athers I took the crease to great applause And focused on me dinner I knew that I had little cause To fear their young leg spinner He loosened up his shoulders And with no run up at all He rolled his right arm over and he let go of the ball.

It was jiggery-pokery, trickery-chokery, how did he open me up? Robbery, muggery, Aussie skullduggery, out for a buggering duck.

What a delivery, I might as well have been holding a contrabassoon.

Uh, yeah, I guess, but I mean, Craig McDermott, uh, he played quite a bit against.

Uh, Merv Hughes was there, but I don't think I know of any big major history between those two.

I mean, it is Alan Border when you take it back to 1986 and the-

Mm

And all the stories Ravi Shastri [laughs] has as well about not just his own innings, but about how he had to shield a young Sachin Tendulkar be- the big, bad Aussies were going after him.

Hmm.

Everyone from Merv Hughes to, uh, McDermott and AB and the two Wars, uh, behind the wicket, Mark and Steve.

Um, a- a- and also th- one of the more famous stories from, from that game, which has been well reported, is Mike Whitney, uh, who was 12th man for that test.

I think he could, I think he can bowl, and just go and have a look at him." And, um, so Shaun went to watch him bowl.

And, uh, Merv Hughes is a good mate of Shaun Williams, and Merv is involved with Footscray.

And, um, Shaun said, "Oh, look, I'm coming down to Melbourne.

Let's catch up, Merv, and, um, you know, and it'd be good.

You just have to be known as having good character and tough- toughness about you to fail and cope, uh, and bounce back, uh, and then your talent will emerge once you get settled in that team.

Um, that's like I was, that's like Steve Waugh was, Craig McDermott, Merv Hughes.

Um, this is not a new thing that they need to start attempting.

Allan Border had no one around him, and in the mid to late '80s, uh, they formulated with, with the right types.

However, some people take to it like a duck to water.

Like you'll be aware that Merv Hughes, Aussie cricket legend, is our brand ambassador.

man, he had some serious, severe sleep apnea when we did a sleep test on him and he jumped on CPAP for the first time and he woke up next day going, well, that was way easier than I thought it would be.

For some people, that's the case.