Lancashire cricketer Kyle Hogg has bowled his final over after being forced to quit the sport through a serious back condition.
The 31-year-old, who was raised in Saddleworth, has been plagued by problems in recent years and in the end was forced to accept medical advice that his playing career was over.
Kyle, who spent 13 years at Lancashire, said: “I have had back problems on and off for the last few years, but in the last six months they have caught up with me.
“I have not played many games this season and it got to the point where I couldn’t perform as I wanted to, and was unlikely to do so ago again. That is why I took what is the right decision.”
Kyle, who is hoping to remain at Lancashire in a coaching capacity, added that the majority of pace bowlers finish with back, knee or ankle problems.
“Every time you bowl nine times your weight goes through your body and it can only take so much which is what has happened to me,” he explained.
The news of Kyle’s enforced retirement came only days after his mother died as he explained it has been a “horrible” time in his life.
Kyle, who began his playing days as a junior at Greenfield, signed for Lancashire on the same day at James Anderson who is now England’s all time leading wicket-taker.
He was also following in a cricketing dynasty as his grandfather is West Indies legend Sonny Ramadhin and father Willie Hogg, the former Lancashire quick bowler.
Kyle made his first-team debut in 2001 and in total took 280 first-class wickets in 114 matches and taking eight five-wicket hauls in a match and one of 10 wickets. He also scored 2,708 runs.
He was awarded his county cap in 2010 and says the next year helping Lancashire win the LV=County Championship outright for the first time in 77 years was the highlight as was going to Buckingham Palace to receive his medal from the Duke of Edinburgh. He took 50 wickets that season.
Despite being plagued by back problems, Kyle was last season named Lancashire’s player-of-the-year after taking a best-ever haul of 60 wickets.
Kyle starred in two never-to-be-forgotten successive games in which he and Glen Chapple bowled out Essex for 20 and Northants for 62. He had figures of 4-11 and 7-27 respectively.
He says he has been privileged to play with great cricketers like Andrew Flintoff, VVS Laxman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Simon Katich and Muttiah Muralitharan.
Lancashire cricket director Mike Watkinson paid tribute saying: “Kyle has made an outstanding contribution to Lancashire.
“He was a product of the local leagues and came through our development system, showing promise at an early age.
“As well as being such a talented cricketer, he is a top bloke and totally committed to the club which is typified by his work as a Foundation Ambassador.”
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