Printable versionKyle Hogg says he was a proud man to be capped earlier this week in his tenth season at Lancashire.
The 27 year-old all-rounder was honoured alongside team-mates Tom Smith and Steven Croft.
Hogg signed for the club on the same day as Jimmy Anderson in 2000, making his Red Rose debut the following year. His and Anderson’s career have taken very different paths since.
He said: “There’s probably not too many others (who have had to wait that long). If you stay at a club for as long as I have, you expect to get your cap in that time.
“It’s something that every cricketer wants to happen, to be capped by the county that you play for – especially when you are playing a lot of cricket with other lads who have been capped.
“I was always looking to get capped, and now that it’s happened it’s definitely something that I can cross off my list.”
“With me, Crofty and Tom having played a lot of first team cricket without being capped, it’s special to know that you’re seen as a major part of the squad now. We were all a little bit surprised, but pleased and proud.”
The awarding of the caps to the three players was supposed to be a secret. But, as Hogg revealed, the cat was let out of the bag during the warm ups for Tuesday’s Clydesdale Bank 40 match against Sussex.
He explained: “When I got to the ground, I was talking to Ian Ward (Sky Sports commentator) out in the middle. He was saying ‘oh, a few of you guys are getting capped today’. I said ‘no, I don’t think so’.
“I don’t know how he knew before any of us! That was the first time we heard anything. It was a good surprise.
“We had a bit of a meeting out on the field, and Peter Moores said that everyone’s got to be in the committee room at 4pm.
“If you’re going into the committee room, you know you’re either getting capped or sacked! It was a bit of a giveaway that we weren’t getting sacked when the whole squad went in.
“I’ve been in there when other people have been getting capped, and it’s a special moment.”
Graham Hardcastle
Photo: Simon Pendrigh, Peakpix Digital Images
(c) Lancashire CCC Ltd
