Derbyshire to fly Slater back for Lord's final (25 Aug 1998)

25 August 1998

Derbyshire to fly Slater back for Lord's final

By Neil Hallam

DERBYSHIRE will fly Michael Slater back from a training camp in Brisbane two days before the NatWest Trophy final against Lancashire at Lord's on Sept 5.

Their attempt to get opening batsman Slater excused from the camp on Sept 2-3 were rejected by the Australian Cricket Board.

Derbyshire secretary John Smedley said: "We have been very disturbed and disappointed by the dog-in-the-manager attitude of the Australian Board. They have shown a lack of professionalism and flexibility in this matter and Michael, understandably, is very upset and perplexed.

"Neither the player nor Derbyshire were notified of the call-up and Michael only got to know of it from a casual remark in conversation with Tom Moody at Worcester last week."

Smedley said the requirement for Slater to attend surprised them as he is not in the Australian squad for the Commonwealth Games next month. They were told that made no difference.

"Our next step was to do everything possible to see if the decision could be changed but our request was rejected without any explanation of how this appalling breakdown in communications had come about," added Smedley. "We asked the ECB and the ICC to take the case up on our behalf but their efforts were also to no avail.

"We next asked if he could be released a bit early on the second day to make it easier to fix up a flight but they said no to that as well and insisted that he must stay until 10pm.

"We have managed to get him on a flight just before midnight on Sept 3 and he should be back in England by four o'clock on the eve of the final.

"That gives him the chance of a night's rest but it's hardly the ideal preparation for a match which means so much to him and to us.

"We can only wonder what would have happened if Tom Moody had not asked Michael what flight he was getting to the training camp?"

The England and Wales Cricket Board yesterday announced a three-year deal with the Australian television channel, Seven Network, to show the Ashes series in England in 2001.

The network will also cover the series between England and New Zealand next year and the Tests and one-day matches between England and West Indies in the year 2000.

Australia's cricket authorities, meanwhile, are taking government advice to ensure the tour of Pakistan, due to start on Sept 23, can take place safely following the American missile strike in Afghanistan.

Eddie Hemmings has been sacked by Nottinghamshire for the second time in his career. The former England spinner, released by the county after 13 years as a player in 1992, has now been dismissed as bowling coach after just 18 months.

Gloucestershire have drafted wicketkeeper-batsman Reggie Williams into their squad for tonight's floodlit AXA League match against Somerset at Bristol.

Williams is added to the 11 players who took part in the rain-affected match against Essex on Sunday. Officials are expecting a 7,500 sell-out for the first day-night match in the West Country.

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