England seek direction (31 May 1999)

31 May 1999

England seek direction

Michael Henderson

English cricket is in turmoil. It did not take a first-round departure from the World Cup to reveal that undeniable fact, though it spelled it out in capital letters and underlined it in red ink. When television sports bulletins are led with news of Rangers' victory in the Scottish Cup final ahead of England's make-or-break game in the World Cup then the game is in urgent need of help.

The problems are many, and profound. The national team need a new coach, probably a new captain, and certainly a new identity. Off the field the game needs firm direction. It is divided against itself, all the way down from the chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board to the Oval cat. People cannot agree on anything, from overseas recruits to central contracts for Test players.

So far as England are concerned, the World Cup, which represented a glorious opportunity, has been an unmitigated disaster. This weekend was the first time the cricketers have had the stage all to themselves, after Manchester United's antics, and when they buy the papers this morning they will read stories about England's abject defeat.

Officials at the ECB are putting on a brave public face, as they must. Privately, they must be seething, though they are not immune from criticism. The marketing of the World Cup has been half-hearted and the fact that the World Cup record (the vaguely-titled All Over The World, which doesn't mention cricket at all) is released today suggests that people are not bothered one way or the other whether the wider public is invited to join the "carnival of cricket".

An apter song would be Desolation Row. Despite the English playing more domestic one-day cricket than any other country in the world, the players are getting progressively worse at it. They came into the World Cup fresh, if that is the word, from hammerings in Australia and Sharjah this winter, and feeling so angry about money that they waited until the last possible moment before they signed their contracts.

In the last two weeks they have proved good enough to beat Zimbabwe, Kenya and the waning cup holders, Sri Lanka. Against South Africa and India, however, their batting was spineless. Now is the time to ring the changes and they will be rung resoundingly before the four-Test series against New Zealand.

There will probably be a new captain by then, and the only reason there is any doubt is that there is no obvious candidate to succeed Alec Stewart. Nasser Hussain was a strong candidate last summer, because he is sure of his place and is one of the few players to give an impression of independence. From a cricketing point of view it made a lot of sense but his nomination was blocked after unofficial consultation with senior players.

Although he is admired as a Test batsman, Hussain is not universally popular and he is regarded as far too selfish to persuade others to follow him. Graham Gooch, his former captain at Essex, will champion his cause but he faces strong opposition from David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, who will manage the team until the appointment of a full-time coach.

The captaincy could therefore pass to Mark Ramprakash, who has nailed down a place in the Test side, and who, simply by not belonging to the World Cup side, has seen his stock rise. If he does not convince everybody that he is a Test captain, he could nevertheless be seen as a faute de mieux candidate. Adam Hollioake has been found out as one degree under international class. There are no outsiders worthy of consideration.

The coach's position has been handled absurdly. David Lloyd stood down when it became clear that Lord MacLaurin, the ECB chief executive, was unwilling to extend his contract. Now, following the rebuff from Bob Woolmer, the South Africa coach, who has said he will take six months off after the World Cup, the post will remain vacant until the end of the season.

There are good players in England, and good men. Darren Gough, Graham Thorpe and Angus Fraser belong in both categories. There is some talent out there. Alex Tudor has made a lively impression, and there is more to Andrew Flintoff than he has chosen to present. There are also some players who should never represent England again. They will not be missed.

In time, they will see just how great a chance they let slip at Edgbaston. It is 16 years since this country staged the World Cup and it will be at least another decade before it returns. By then a generation of potential cricket-lovers will have been lost to the game.

One can be angry about England's lily-livered performance but the overwhelming feeling this morning is of profound sadness.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)