September 18, 2008	Thursday	Ramazan 17, 1429

LONDON, Sept 17: Graeme Hick’s cricket career came to an abrupt end on Wednesday as his final season before retirement was cut short by injury.

The Worcestershire faithful will miss the chance to say one last goodbye to their favourite adopted son after the 42-year-old Zimbabwe-born Hick confirmed he would not appear in the Midlands county’s final two matches this season after the recurrence of an elbow injury during a one-day match against Middlesex last weekend.

The former England batsman, missing from the team for the four-day County Championship clash, also against Middlesex, which started on Wednesday, said he would not be fit either for Sunday’s Pro40 play-off away to Glamorgan.

“Unfortunately with my elbow not being right, I didn’t really enjoy the fielding side of it,” Hick said. “I don’t feel like I did my job properly on Sunday.

“I’m not 100 percent. I made my decision as if it were mid-season and whether or not I felt I would do myself, and the rest of the guys, justice on the field,” he added.

“The decision was made without the added emotion of it being my last game.”

A prolific performer at county level, Hick’s tally of 136 first-class centuries puts him eighth on the all-time list and is unlikely to be exceeded by any current player.

Earlier this season, Hick surpassed former England captain Graham Gooch’s record for most runs in all senior cricket, and now has 64,372 to his name, but he was unable to take that form into the international arena.—AFP