Fletcher - 'we have a very good chance in Australia'
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23-Oct-2006
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Duncan, please can you give us your thoughts on the great allrounders?
Ian Botham was a very dynamic cricketer. If he had a weakness, it was that he seemed a little inconsistent. What marked him out, however, was the ability he had to change a game in England's favour in just a couple of overs, whether it was as a bowler or a batsman.
Ian Botham was a very dynamic cricketer. If he had a weakness, it was that he seemed a little inconsistent. What marked him out, however, was the ability he had to change a game in England's favour in just a couple of overs, whether it was as a bowler or a batsman.
Richie Benaud played before my time, but I think of him as a legend. He bowled legspin with huge success and contributed a great deal with the bat. He was also a very successful captain. From what I understand, he had excellent man-management skills, which is an under-rated ability. There are a lot of tactically astute captains but only those who can handle players one-on-one find success.
Sir Garfield Sobers probably has to be the best allrounder of all time. He could swing a ball, bowl it quickly and even bowl spin. Plus, he batted with real success in the top five. I can think of no player that offered as much to his team.
I regard Richard Hadlee as a first-class bowler who could bat a fair bit. That said, he was brilliant with the ball. He consistently got people out on New Zealand's very flat wickets, which other bowlers often struggled on.
Should a great allrounder be limited to being a batsman or bowler, or should it include wicketkeepers and fielders, such as Adam Gilchrist or Jonty Rhodes?
As a coach, you ideally want a bowler who can contribute with the bat. Generally, you field only four strike bowlers but six or so batsmen, so you're not likely to sacrifice a frontline bowler for a batsman who can bowl a bit. A wicketkeeper who can bat, meanwhile, is an allrounder but not as important or as useful as a player who bats and bowls. That said, he would - inevitably - rank higher in your estimation than a batsman or bowler who is also an expert fielder.
As a coach, you ideally want a bowler who can contribute with the bat. Generally, you field only four strike bowlers but six or so batsmen, so you're not likely to sacrifice a frontline bowler for a batsman who can bowl a bit. A wicketkeeper who can bat, meanwhile, is an allrounder but not as important or as useful as a player who bats and bowls. That said, he would - inevitably - rank higher in your estimation than a batsman or bowler who is also an expert fielder.
Who are the allrounders of the future in English and world cricket?
I can only really comment on the future of England cricket. Of our young players, those who are most likely to become international allrounders are Liam Plunkett and Sajid Mahmood. Plunket has only just emerged on the first-class scene and is still very raw, but he has talent. Mahmood is a good bowler and strikes the ball well. Both players have a chance. They just need more experience.
I can only really comment on the future of England cricket. Of our young players, those who are most likely to become international allrounders are Liam Plunkett and Sajid Mahmood. Plunket has only just emerged on the first-class scene and is still very raw, but he has talent. Mahmood is a good bowler and strikes the ball well. Both players have a chance. They just need more experience.
What does it take to be a great allrounder?
I'd say a player would have to reach a strike-rate of between 20 and 30 runs a wicket and a batting average of at least 30. He will also have attained a decent number of five-wicket hauls, and achieved those figures over a prolonged period in Test cricket.
I'd say a player would have to reach a strike-rate of between 20 and 30 runs a wicket and a batting average of at least 30. He will also have attained a decent number of five-wicket hauls, and achieved those figures over a prolonged period in Test cricket.
Who is the best allrounder you have played against and seen play? And what made them so special?
Zimbabwe, my country, didn't play Test cricket in my time - the 1970s and 1980s - so I did not face many of the great allrounders. The best I did encounter was Mike Procter, the South African who played for Gloucestershire. He was possibly the quickest of all the great allrounders and was an archetypal No. 6 batsman: attacking and technically strong. Of the allrounders I saw, Hadlee and Imran Khan were my favourites. Like Hadlee, Khan was first and foremost a bowler, but he could bat too, and that is the type of allrounder I tend to prefer. That said, I only ever read about them or saw them on television, which is very different from facing a player on the pitch.
Zimbabwe, my country, didn't play Test cricket in my time - the 1970s and 1980s - so I did not face many of the great allrounders. The best I did encounter was Mike Procter, the South African who played for Gloucestershire. He was possibly the quickest of all the great allrounders and was an archetypal No. 6 batsman: attacking and technically strong. Of the allrounders I saw, Hadlee and Imran Khan were my favourites. Like Hadlee, Khan was first and foremost a bowler, but he could bat too, and that is the type of allrounder I tend to prefer. That said, I only ever read about them or saw them on television, which is very different from facing a player on the pitch.
It took 20 years for England to find a successor to Ian Botham. Will it take another 20 years to find a successor to Andrew Flintoff?
We should be careful not to criticise England here. Have Pakistan produced a great allrounder since Wasim Akram? Who was the last great allrounder to come from New Zealand? Or South Africa? Or, even, Australia? It is difficult to think of any. Shane Warne is a world-class bowler but it is only in the last couple of years that he has been effective with the bat. Even then, he is not what you would call a first-rate batsman. It's impossible to say how long we will have to wait for another Andrew Flintoff because allrounders are very rare commodities. We are just very lucky that we have him.
We should be careful not to criticise England here. Have Pakistan produced a great allrounder since Wasim Akram? Who was the last great allrounder to come from New Zealand? Or South Africa? Or, even, Australia? It is difficult to think of any. Shane Warne is a world-class bowler but it is only in the last couple of years that he has been effective with the bat. Even then, he is not what you would call a first-rate batsman. It's impossible to say how long we will have to wait for another Andrew Flintoff because allrounders are very rare commodities. We are just very lucky that we have him.
Who do you think will be the allrounder that makes a difference in this winter's Ashes?
It's obvious, Andrew Flintoff. He has only really been on the scene for the last couple of years and there is still much more to come from him, particularly with his batting, which he is keen to improve. The only thing that might hold him back are the repetitive injuries he seems to suffer. If he is not too unfortunate with them, he will become even better - starting, hopefully, in Australia this winter.
It's obvious, Andrew Flintoff. He has only really been on the scene for the last couple of years and there is still much more to come from him, particularly with his batting, which he is keen to improve. The only thing that might hold him back are the repetitive injuries he seems to suffer. If he is not too unfortunate with them, he will become even better - starting, hopefully, in Australia this winter.
Who will win the Ashes?
We have a very good chance of winning it. It is going to be very, very difficult without our full team, but the fact that many of the players have the experience of winning an Ashes series will be a big help. I certainly believe we can do it.
What makes a car a great allrounder?
Like an allrounder in cricket, it must perform on all terrain, on and off road. It must also be technically perfect and, though it hardly needs saying, it has to look good.
Like an allrounder in cricket, it must perform on all terrain, on and off road. It must also be technically perfect and, though it hardly needs saying, it has to look good.