About Matthew Hoggard

Matthew Hoggard MBE is one of the most successful international cricketers to have played for England. He played for and captained, Leicestershire County Cricket Club where, after leaving his home county of Yorkshire at the end of the 2009 season, he has had a successful period. He was a vital member of the inspirational England side that won the epic 2005 Ashes series and has been a model of consistency throughout his test and ODI career, representing his country on 93 occasions.

Born in Pudsey, Leeds in 1976, Matthew showed early promise and given his 6ft 2 inch frame had the perfect build for the orthodox swing bowling he is now famous for. Making his debut for Yorkshire in 1996 aged 19, it was four years before Matthew finally received his call to the England team. But, captained by Nasser Hussain and coached by Duncan Fletcher, Matthew's confidence grew and it wasn't long before he became a regular in the England line-up.

His career was off to a flying start as he led the attack on England's tour of India in 2001/2002, later that year he took seven wickets for 63 runs against New Zealand. Then, during a successful tour of the West Indies in 2004, he achieved the rare feat of his 1st and England's 34th test hat-trick, helping to propel England to their first series victory in the West Indies for 36 years.

His impressive form continued in early 2005 when he took 12 wickets for 205 in the forth Test Match of the series in South Africa; England's best figures since Ian Botham's 13 for 106 against India in 1979/1980. By now, Matthew had become an invaluable member of the England team. Going into the 2005 Ashes series, he not only provided a constant threat with his fast, orthodox swing bowling but he also scored 8 not out with Ashley Giles against Australia in the forth Test at Trent Bridge, helping England to secure a 2-1 series victory. This world class performance was later rewarded when his name was included in the 2006 New Years Honours list for an MBE.

A fantastic year in Matthew's career, 2006 not only saw him named as one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year, but he was also officially ranked the 4th best Test Match bowler in the world and became the 10th England bowler to take 200 Test wickets. He also holds the impressive acclaim of being the 6th highest wicket-taker in England's test match history, with 248 wickets from 67 matches, an accolade which highlights his professionalism.

A consistent bowler and a natural leader in the England team, Matthew's international career was surprisingly ended, somewhat prematurely, in March of 2008. Then, after being released by Yorkshire at the end of the 2009 season, Matthew was immediately announced as the new captain for Leicestershire County Cricket. He took his 700th first-class wicket during the 2010 campaign and continues to be an asset on the field as an opening bowler, and off the field as a mentor to the teams' younger professionals. A true leader, Matthew captained Leicester County Cricket Club to their third T20 win in August 2011, after the most dramatic finals day in Twenty20 history.

With his international career at an end, Matthew had the opportunity to increase his profile within the media, releasing his book 'Hoggy: Welcome to my world' in 2009 and contributing regularly to the Independent's website during England's summer Test series against India in 2011. With energy and enthusiasm, Matthew is committed to making his career off the cricket field as long and successful as his career on the field.

In September 2013, Matthew announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, bringing a hugely successful 17-year career to an end. His final professional match was for Leicestershire against Hampshire and the national press queued up to pay tribute to one of the all-time greats.

Since his retirement from professional cricket, Matthew has become a prominent philanthropist who supports a variety of charities. Working in partnership with Champions UK Plc, Matthew is a staple guest of their charity events in support of Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People. He has also starred on Celebrity Masterchef and joined the travel company Venatour, supporting the company as a Cricket Ambassador for cricket tours.

In particular, Matthew is a staple guest at the Champions event hosted at the Wormsley Estate, which in 2022 was The Authors XI Vs The Lord’s Taverners. Since Champions began running the event held at the Wormsley Estate, Matthew has been the staple Captain of The Lord’s Taverners side. Matthew is often also seen attending the Champions annual Charity Cricket Dinner, once again showing his support to charitable causes.

Most recently, in 2023, Matthew was the host of the Matthew Hoggard MBE Ashes Charity Golf Day, that took place at the picturesque Studley Wood Golf Club. The event demonstrated Matthew’s passions as a philanthropist, avidly supporting the charities Variety Golf, Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People and Urology Cancer Research and Education.

In addition to his commitments to charity events, Matthew also continues to be hired as a keynote speaker for events via Champions Speakers, hired for his expertise on cricket. Matthew also features across national press and on a range of popular TV programmes, sought-after for his expertise and humour on cricketing coverage across a variety of networks including the BBC, Sky Sports and BT Sport.