Playing Australia is the greatest test for any cricketer.
This is according to former opening batter and national convenor of selectors Andrew Hudson as the Proteas prepare to face the defending champions in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s next month.
Hudson fronted up to the Aussies in two series – both home and away – back in 1994, and believes it is not just an examination of a players’ technical ability, but more mental capacity to keep the “relentless” Baggy Greens at bay.
“You knew you were in a fight, you just knew,” Hudson exclusively told Independent Media.
“They don’t let go. They just keep coming. Even if you scored a hundred, if you’ve done well, they’re still there to get you and make sure you don’t score a big hundred.
“I mean, they played very similar to us in the sense that they fought probably better when they had their backs to the wall.
“So, it was, in a way, good because you knew you had to be on point. You couldn’t go into an Australian series half-done or under-prepared.
“They have an incredible will to win. They just wanted to win.”
The dark art of sledging has long been part of Australia’s hard-nosed tactics, and while it has set the scene for some compelling cricket when the players have gone toe-to-toe over the years, the mythical moral line has also been crossed on a few occasions.
That was the case most notably in the first Test at the Wanderers in 1994, when Hudson was verbally abused by the late Shane Warne after being bowled around his legs.
“F*** off. Go on, Hudson, f*** off out of here!” Warner was heard screaming in the send-off.
In his autobiography, Shane Warne: My Own Story, the leg-spinner later expressed regret over his actions, and Hudson has seemingly also forgiven him for his actions.
“I think Shane epitomised the passion. I mean, he was someone who was always at you and didn’t sort of let go,” Hudson said.
“I mean, he was going to get you out however, and whether it meant chirping you, whether it meant joking with you, whether it meant bowling great deliveries, he was at you all the time, and was going to get you out.
“And it was relentless, you know, it didn’t end there.
“But often what happened off the field was very different to what happened on the field, and they were likeable people and accommodating.
“And we used to move through to each other’s changing rooms after the games and stuff.
“Those interactions were just very normal and very pleasant. But it changed the next day (on the field).”
Hudson feels the current Proteas have a glorious opportunity to upstage the more experienced Aussies at Lord’s from June 11-15 due to the WTC final being played as a one-off and not as a regular multi-match series.
He also feels the Proteas’ sum total of their parts is their greatest strength.
“Relating to the now, to the Test match, the once-off, I think it’s probably the ideal situation for us to play them once-off,” he said.
“Anything can happen in a once-off Test match, with a toss and weather conditions.
“I think if we had to play them over a five Test-match series, I think it would be a lot more difficult to beat them over five Test matches.
“And while I think there’s still work that they can do before they can be compared to Graeme Smith’s team or Ali Bacher’s team of the 70s, I think their strength is their unity.
“They’re prepared to tackle adversity (and) work hard together, which is wonderful.”
