New Zealand's greatest cricketer and ICC Hall of Famer

Overview

Sir Richard Hadlee is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time and New Zealand's most celebrated sportsperson. Known as "The Master of Rhythm and Swing," he took 431 test wickets across 86 tests, played 115 one-day internationals and was knighted in 1990 while still playing the game. ICC Cricket Hall of Famer (2009) and twice-named New Zealand Sportsperson of the Year, he is a witty, polished after-dinner speaker with a lifetime of stories to tell.

Who is Sir Richard Hadlee? Born in Christchurch, Richard followed his brother Dale into first-class cricket for Canterbury in 1971/72, debuting with a hat-trick against Central Districts. He made his test debut against Pakistan in 1973 and went on to spend nearly two decades as the cornerstone of NZ cricket. He played 13 seasons for Nottinghamshire in England and was a contemporary of Ian Botham, Kapil Dev and Imran Khan in the great all-rounder era. He retired in 1990 with a wicket from the very last ball he bowled in test cricket.

Career Highlights • 431 test wickets in 86 tests (average 22.29) and 158 ODI wickets • Knighted for services to cricket, 1990 (while still playing) • ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, 2009 • MBE for services to NZ sport, 1981 • NZ Sportsperson of the Year (1980, 1986); NZ Sportsperson of the Decade, 1987 • Author of 13 books and long-serving cricket commentator and NZC board member

Key Speaking Themes • Excellence, discipline and what it takes to be the best in the world • Performing under pressure across nearly 20 years • Resilience — including overcoming serious health challenges • Leadership, mentoring and the value of strong values • Stories from the boundary — after-dinner storytelling

What Your Audience Will Gain Sir Richard is articulate, polished and full of stories. Audiences leave with first-hand insight into world-class performance and a lifetime of anecdotes from one of cricket's most respected voices.

Ideal For • Sports awards nights and gala dinners • Corporate offsites and incentive events • Cricket clubs and sporting associations • After-dinner and MC engagements • Leadership and high-performance events

Frequently Asked Questions...

What does Sir Richard Hadlee speak about? Excellence, discipline, resilience, leadership and stories from one of the greatest cricket careers in history.

How many test wickets did Sir Richard Hadlee take? 431 test wickets in 86 tests for New Zealand, at an average of 22.29.

When was Sir Richard Hadlee knighted? 1990, for services to cricket — while he was still an active international player.

Was Sir Richard Hadlee inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame? Yes. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.

What awards has Sir Richard Hadlee received? MBE (1981), Knighthood (1990), NZ Sportsperson of the Year (1980 and 1986), NZ Sportsperson of the Decade (1987) and the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame (2009).

Is Sir Richard Hadlee available for after-dinner and corporate events? Yes. Sir Richard is a popular after-dinner and corporate speaker across NZ, Australia and the UK.