New Zealand's greatest all-rounder offers tips to SAR hopefuls

Chivalry is not dead. Hong Kong cricket, preparing for one of its biggest dates on the international scene, got a little bit of help from Sir Richard Hadlee yesterday.

Hadlee, who in 1990 was knighted for his services to the game, is in town in his role as ambassador-at-large for the International Cricket Council. It is a role which sits well on the large frame of the former New Zealand star all-rounder.

'I'm one of 24 roaming ambassadors who have been entrusted with promoting and developing the game worldwide,' said Hadlee at the Kowloon Cricket Club yesterday morning.

He then decided to get comfortable, stripping down to a pair of shorts and joining the Hong Kong squad who were practising for next month's Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Trophy tournament in Sharjah.

The Hong Kong Cricket Association are doing their utmost to see that the senior squad get every bit of help and assistance in the build-up for the ACC Trophy which is a qualifying event for next April's Asia Cup in Pakistan. So, for a little bit of advice in the batting and bowling departments, they turned to Hadlee.

White knight Hadlee obliged. The man who is rated as one of the best all-rounders the world has seen - in an 86-Test career he took 431 wickets and scored 3,124 runs - stood and watched the SAR squad go through their paces under coach Lal Jayasinghe and then offered words of advice, which undoubtedly will be worth more than all the gold in Dubai if Hong Kong qualify for the Asia Cup.

'Obviously my area of expertise will be in the fast bowling and batting departments. I am lacking a bit in the spin and wicketkeeping areas,' said Hadlee mischievously.