Dean Jones opens up about regretful fall out with Merv Hughes

Dean Jones spoke on brutal sledging with Merv Hughes at Sheffield Shield over an interview with Fox Sports

Dean Jones regrets his sledging with Merv Huges at the Victorian match. Huges accepts that situation between Jones and him are not the same anymore. Several hard-nosed players involved in that game back in the mid 1990’s who had heard all forms of sledging in the brutally contested Sheffield Shield have said that listening to the once great friends pit against each other with war of words was awkward for the team. Hughes has said that even though the pair will talk to each other these days, there is now no warmth or depth to their relationship. ALSO READ: Dean Jones visa row: Pakistan Interior Minister orders action against airlines

In a compelling interview to air on Cricket Legends on Fox Sports 1 at 6pm on Wednesday night, Jones opened up about the sad falling out he wishes he could change with hindsight. “It’s the biggest regret of my life,” Jones says. “We were closer than brothers. I didn’t want the friendship to end. The game isn’t just about winning all the time. We went to war together. If he didn’t hang around with me in Adelaide I would never have got a 200 against the West Indies in 1989. He got hit 45 times that day.

“When I was captain of Victoria I always said to myself no matter what friendships, no matter what, I always prepare and look after the White V. It was a difficult time. We’ve addressed it but we’re nowhere near as close as we used to be.” Jones explained that one of Australian cricket’s longest standing feuds centred around the skipper not being prepared to trust Hughes that he would recover from a hamstring injury in time to face Tasmania in a state game. The brilliant batsman said he regretted not putting friendship ahead of cricket. “It got to a stage where (Hughes) was injured and I said, ‘mate, we’ve been told the selectors have said you have to play in a trial match. Just bowl five overs in this trial match’,” Jones said. ALSO READ: Merv Hughes returns to cricket for his sons

“And he wouldn’t bowl off the long run, he would bowl off three steps. All the selectors said, ‘no, he’s done, we can’t pick him.’ And I looked at the Chairman of Selectors and I said, ‘right, haul him up.’ “I said, ‘Merv, how do you feel?’ And he said, ‘I told you Deano, I was right. I’ll be OK for Tasmania for next week.’ “I looked at him and said, ‘sorry mate, you’re not ready.’ “In hindsight if I had the chance again I’d play him. “He was at the end of his career, he was fighting those demons and you’re a different person when you’re asking, ‘what do I do next?’ We didn’t know what we were going to do next in life after that, we didn’t have much organised.”