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He'll be back

The imminent return of a young superstar.

They say you can't keep a good man down, and it’s a fairly true statement. Although in general terms it usually refers to someone who's been around a bit with a few years under their belt, it definitely applies to Phillip Hughes.

Here is a guy who has opened the batting for Australia, made two Test hundreds, hit numerous centuries for both NSW and county side Middlesex, travelled around the world, and incredibly, still hasn't reached his 21st birthday. And while most people his age are still contemplating what they’re going to do with their lives, Hughes now has yet another challenge on his hands: fighting his way back into the Australian Test team. Opinions are divided on Hughes, and whether he has the right stuff to make it at the highest level with his unconventional technique and apparent weakness against short-pitched bowling.

The fact is, no mug makes centuries against a fire-breathing South African bowling attack away from the comfort of home grounds in hostile foreign stadiums on their first tour.

In David Sygall's cover story this month, we find out the inside story of Hughes' rise, particularly what it was like bowling to him as a teenager through the eyes of one of his team-mates. Sygall also spoke to his coach Neil D'Costa and Hughes himself about his current predicament. He really is too good a man to be kept down, and with Australia focusing on bringing in young talent for the future, the treatment of him and how he fares this summer will be critical.

Marcus North is at the other end of the spectrum. He's nearly 10 years older than Hughes and yet since his debut, also in South Africa, he's seemingly cemented his place in the Australian Test team, with good reason. His efforts with the bat both there and during the Ashes have shown him to be a reliable run scorer who can also contribute to Australia's bowling attack with handy off-spinners. Matt Cleary chatted with the West Australian for a feature backed up by Kersi Meher-Homji's statistical analysis.

In this issue we also acknowledge other recent additions to the Aussie side or those who once played for their country but who are now on the outer, fighting their way back into either the Test or one-day sides.

Elsewhere, we look at Andrew Flintoff's new career direction, the development of one of India's most promising left-handed batsmen, Suresh Raina, and for your own cricket, we have a comprehensive gift guide for the new season in association with Rebel Sport.

Enjoy the read, and don't forget to send your submissions for our Waeco Grandstand page, which includes fan photos and stories on clubs and the people involved with them around Australia, to insidecricket@acpmagazines.com.au

Cheers!
Nick Raman, Editor

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