England opt for specialist treatment (7 February 1999)

7 February 1999

England opt for specialist treatment

By Paul Newman

ENGLAND will attempt to win the World Cup by concentrating on conventional cricket skills in the familiar surroundings of home in early summer.

For all the experimentation of the last year and the false dawn of winning the Champions Cup in Sharjah in late 1997 with a team packed with all-rounders, quality batting and bowling has usurped a reliance on bits and pieces skills ahead of one-day cricket's premier competition.

That subtle change of emphasis is the biggest development to come out of the triangular series, where England will take on Australia in the best-of-three match finals, beginning in Sydney on Wednesday. It is a switch that the England management barely acknowledge, claiming they always planned to pick different teams for different conditions. But it is one that has clearly evolved over the last month in Australia where England, despite losing their last two qualifying matches, have played some encouraging limited-overs cricket. Add the fact that the World Cup will be played with an English Duke's ball, which offers the bowler more assistance than the Kookaburra, and 'proper' cricketers will be essential.

If there was one moment that crystalised England's best policy in their attempt to win their first World Cup it was the promotion of Graeme Hick to No 3 for the victory over Australia in Sydney. It was the time when it became clear that 'pinch-hitting' can only be of limited effectiveness in England in early summer and that an attacking, Test-class batsman can make just as much use of the first 15-over fielding restrictions as a slogger.

From there many of the other components of England's best line-up have fallen into place to the point where the bulk of their 15-man World Cup party, which could be named as early as next week after the finals, are easily recognisable. Of course, there will be room for all-rounders but specialists will be to the fore, including a probable return for Angus Fraser, still the best qualified seamer to take advantage of any vagaries the English climate could throw up from May 14 onwards.

Expect, too, the inclusion of Ian Austin in the 15 in one of the few places devoted to predominantly one-day players. Alec Stewart, in particular, is a big fan of the burly Lancastrian and Austin would have been in Australia now were it not for a minor knee injury that will not keep him out of the World Cup reckoning. Most of the others pick themselves.

David Graveney, the England manager, is loathe to say how many places in the final 15 are still up for grabs, but he estimates that they are "three-quarters of the way there" to selection. That means Stewart, Nick Knight, Hick, Neil Fairbrother, hamstrings permitting, Adam Hollioake, Mark Ealham, Robert Croft, Darren Gough and Alan Mullally are certainties, with Nasser Hussain, Fraser and Austin earmarked to join them.

To them must be added a spare batsman, a bowling all-rounder and a batting all-rounder and it is these three places which will stimulate most debate when Graveney meets up with Graham Gooch, his fellow selector, and links up with Mike Gatting, the third selector who is in New Zealand, on his return from Australia.

John Crawley, who is a capable reserve wicketkeeper, remains the favourite for the batting place but Graveney points out that England could call on Warren Hegg from outside the squad if Stewart sustains a serious injury during the World Cup. Only a back spasm or another minor affliction for the captain would necessitate the need for an emergency keeper, so Mark Alleyne could fill that role and gain reward for his reasonable performances by becoming the batting all-rounder in reserve. In his favour, perhaps, is the chairman of selectors' memory of a couple of dismissals from days past at Gloucestershire which went into the scorebook as st Alleyne, b Graveney.

If Crawley misses out there could yet be room for Graham Thorpe or Mike Atherton, but they must prove their fitness by making themselves available for the Sharjah tournament in April. If not, Mark Ramprakash, upset at his exclusion from the Australian one-day side, is the most likely reserve.

The all-rounder slots are intriguing. Dean Headley could miss out to make room for Fraser and Austin, leaving the likes of Alleyne, Vince Wells, Matthew Fleming, Ashley Giles, Gavin Hamilton, the possible wild-card selection, and Dougie Brown all meriting consideration. Ben Hollioake, sadly, has drifted out of the equation while Giles looked a certainly before this series, but England are having second thoughts about their desire to have a second spinner in the party.

Alleyne, Wells and Giles should at least have the opportunity to further press their claims in the finals of the Carlton and United Series. Australia now have the momentum, as their win in Sydney on Friday showed, but England have done enough to suggest they could mount a decent challenge when it really matters, starting at Lord's on May 14 against Sri Lanka.

Carlton and United Series.- Today: Australia v Sri Lanka (Melbourne). Wednesday, 1st final: Australia v England (Sydney). Friday, 2nd final: Australia v England (Melbourne). Sunday, 3rd final (if necessary): Australia v England (Melbourne).

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