Adam Hollioake chuckles from the ice tub at his dwelling on the Gold Coast. ‘I do it each morning,’ he says. ‘And I f***ing hate it.
‘After I say I hate it, it’s the nervousness of getting in, after which the 5 minutes that I’m in it. I’m simply dangerous with chilly.’
Why then does the ex-England captain put himself by this every day purgatory? ‘It’s the advantages,’ he replies, referring to the discount in irritation within the muscle tissues and joints, and subsequent means of the physique to get better faster from train. Even at 53, dedication to being one of the best he can is but to go away him.
Hollioake is a born competitor. Catalysed by the dying of his youthful brother Ben in a automobile accident in 2002, it took him away from English cricket 20 years in the past and, when a enterprise enterprise led to chapter, into the realms of boxing and blended martial arts in his native Australia.
However this terribly candid man is returning to the county scene after Kent recognized his inspirational management to rejuvenate a staff that completed nicely clear on the County Championship’s prime division final summer time. Operation Promotion is already underneath means, though Hollioake formally begins a three-year contract on February 1.
Forward of his first head coach position, he tells Mail Sport: ‘I’m type of a polarising kind of character. I’m certain there’ll be some those who can be like “it’s nice to have him again,” and others who’ll say: “Not {that a}***gap!”
Adam Hollioake will return to the county scene after being appointed as Kent’s new head coach
Hollioake is an awfully candid and inspirational chief, whereas he’s a born competitor
He takes over a Kent facet who endured a troublesome season in 2024 throughout all three codecs
‘That’s the way in which that the county scene would know me, as a result of I wasn’t precisely an angel again within the day.
‘I handed out various sledging, at all times performed fairly arduous, and clearly we had a reasonably profitable facet at Surrey, so whereas the responses at Kent have been actually optimistic and welcoming, I’m certain there are individuals elsewhere that received’t be that happy to see me.’
As a refresher, Hollioake was the chief of the final really dominant Surrey facet earlier than the present one bagged three Championship pennants in a row. Hollioake’s trio of titles got here throughout 4 seasons as a part of a golden haul of 9 home trophies, together with the inaugural Twenty20 Cup in 2003.
‘I’ve by no means actually had addictions to medicine or consuming or playing, however I’ve to confess I’m a little bit of a sucker for the thrill of successful issues,’ he says.
‘Folks may have most likely seen that my journey since I completed taking part in cricket has been a little bit of a rollercoaster and once I completed preventing, I used to be on the lookout for one thing to exchange the competing as an athlete. Clearly, at my age, except I take up garden bowls or darts, I feel it’s over for me.
‘However I realised that I wanted that competitors in my life, and the easiest way that I might nonetheless be concerned was teaching.’
Hollioake has spent the previous few years edging again into cricket with teaching consultancy positions – most just lately with Surrey final summer time – however together with his two of his three kids now adults and the youngest, Takoda, ‘on his personal path now’ as a teenage rugby participant attracting curiosity from NRL golf equipment like Gold Coast Titans, the ‘oldest apprentice on this planet’ was eager to make the transition from non permanent to everlasting standing.
‘Ben dying modified my profession path as a result of I needed to be round my dad and mom and household after that, which means I headed again to Australia,’ he explains.
Hollioake is a legend at Surrey for main the membership to a few County Championship titles
Adam confronted tragey with the dying of his youthful brother Ben (left) in a automobile accident in 2002
Hollioake (left) subsequently moved into preventing and had 14 skilled bouts over 4 years
‘If that hadn’t occurred, I’d have most likely performed cricket so long as I might. I used to be 33 and bodily I most likely might have gone on for one more 10 years, I reckon.’
A enterprise into the enterprise world proved catastrophic when the worldwide monetary disaster took the Hollioakes’ household property growth firm underneath in 2011. His response was to move into what has grow to be his default mode. Each time underneath strain, he comes out preventing. This time, actually.
‘I didn’t actually have any expertise within the workforce and I didn’t have any teaching {qualifications} on the time, however I had been coaching down on the health club and I received supplied the prospect to struggle professionally,’ he recaps.
‘At first I used to be like: “I don’t assume so”. Then, my coach Stephen Ng advised me I might be the one worldwide cricketer to field professionally and my ego preferred the sound of that.
‘Later, as a result of individuals type of knew that I had a stable wrestling background, they have been like “you need to struggle in MMA as nicely.” Once more, no means, till Stephen advised me I’d been supplied a struggle.
‘I advised him it was loopy, however then he mentioned: “You recognize, nobody’s ever performed worldwide cricket, boxed professionally and fought in MMA.” And my ego kicked in once more. Subsequent minute, they’re locking me in a cage.’
Over 4 years and 14 skilled bouts, he grappled across the globe till, throughout last preparations ‘for a minor world title struggle in England,’ he was hit by a change of coronary heart.
‘Sooner or later I made a decision that I didn’t wish to do it any extra. I didn’t wish to get punched within the face once more. Not even yet one more time. So I simply stopped.’
Hollioake has spent current years edging again into cricket with teaching consultancy positions
The 53-year-old, who has signed a three-year deal, promised that Kent will play in his picture
Hollioake believes there are apparent parallels between batting and fight sports activities, given the quantity of considering time alone related to every and the psychological resilience required. Grief has additionally formed his outlook. The lack of Graham Thorpe earlier this 12 months was painful for him and his former Surrey team-mates, but in addition strengthened the bond between them.
‘The Thorpey factor introduced us all again collectively once more,’ he says. ‘Mark Butcher, myself, Ali Brown, Martin Bicknell, Thorpey, we grew up collectively and it shook loads of us fairly arduous.
‘If you get out of cricket and see what’s actually on the market in the true world you realise that everybody in cricket is an effective bloke.
‘If you happen to act like an fool, then it’s a really lonely existence. The sport brings you again into line and due to that you simply develop loads of associates.’
And one factor Hollioake – who performed 4 Checks and 35 ODIs within the late Nineties and was England’s first real specialist limited-overs captain – can promise as his profession path takes a brand new flip is that
‘That is skilled sport, so results-wise you by no means understand how issues are going to pan out, however what I can assure is that we’ll include angle,’ he declares.
‘I’ll be bringing good angle to daily and I do know that individuals will get dragged alongside by that. I do know that we’ll go on the market each time, and we’ll have a crack. We’re not going to die questioning; we can be on the market preventing.’
