Dear Merv

Merv Hughes: test cricketer, scourge of batsmen, umpires, administrators and dieticians, hero of the Outer, man of letters ...man of letters? Yes, Merv Hughes has kept every piece of correspondence sent to him during his adult life. From his first invitation to play representative sport to his last on-tour fan letter, this book is a collection of words from Prime Ministers and Cricket Boards, irate coaches and relentless autograph-hounds, grandmothers and gay men. His family and friends, too, are prolific writers and it's through them we learn about the home he left behind in suburban Werribee, described in vivid, and sometimes profane, detail. Interspersed throughout is Merv's commentary, linking the correspondence he has gathered over 20 years in the days before email, reflecting on the highs and lows and the importance to a cricketer on the international stage of letters from mates. The book offers a unique view of the passion Australia has for cricket as well as the loving, supportive and down-to-earth environment that nurtured Merv Hughes.