Christopher Martin-Jenkins: Elite to learn appliance of science

Elite to learn appliance of science by Christopher Martin-Jenkins

THE aftermath of England`s fifth successive defeat in a Test series against Pakistan was an appropriate moment for the announcement, at Lord`s yesterday, of a scheme designed to prepare promising county cricketers for the rigours of the international game.

A Denis Compton trophy will be the tangible reward for the 18 young cricketers, one from each county, deemed by a selection panel to have the potential to become England players. The real reward, however, will be the chance to go to South Africa throughout the winter on an NBC cricket scholarship.

This year it is expected that eight players, probably aged between 20 and 24, will spend next October to March in Cape Town, learning some of the disciplines which helped to mature Nasser Hussain`s cricket in the winter of 1994-95. In future the hope is that there will be sufficient funds for all 18 winners to go to South Africa. This year`s winners will be announced next month, chosen by a panel including Dickie Bird, Ian Botham, John Emburey, David Graveney, Clive Radley and Micky Stewart.

Apart from coaching from former South African Test players Eddie Barlow and Omar Henry, and from former England bowler Robin Jackman, the young cricketers will be exposed to the techniques of sports science which Bob Woolmer has espoused for the current South African team.

The players will be based at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa at Newlands. Their director of `Bioenergetics`, physiologist Tim Noakes, said yesterday: "The young cricketers will benefit from the outstanding facilities here. We believe in the `total` approach to developing sporting talent, including full medical, nutritional and psychological evaluations with appropriate interventions when necessary."

There will be work, too, with American expert in vision Dr Ken West, who has already convinced several county coaches, and England coach David Lloyd, of the need for specific training to keep the eyes at optimum efficiency. Among his dictums is that tea and coffee, gallons of which form part of the staple diet of most cricketers, are bad for the eyes.

Mental training will be in the hands of another South African, Ken Jennings, a leader in the movement towards positive thinking in international sport.

Equally to the point, there will be six matches against the Boland and Western Province Cricket Academy and weekend cricket in South African club matches. In return the young English players will be expected to coach in clubs and at schools.

The cost of the winter`s course is estimated at about #9,000 a player. The Test and County Cricket Board`s deputy chief executive, Tim Lamb, has given his blessing to the project but there is no suggestion yet that the Board will provide some funds via the Cricket Foundation. Good ideas have their own volition sometimes, however, and the next to come to fruition is likely to be a Cricket Academy based at Shenley in Hertfordshire and linked to the MCC Indoor School, for players of a slightly younger agegroup.

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