HICK_TALKS_TO_ILLY_08AUG95

Disillusioned Hick puts his side of story to Illingworth

BY CHARLES RANDALL

GRAEME HICK strode into Trent Bridge yesterday requesting a meeting "face to face" with Ray Illingworth, England`s chairman of selectors, and he left everyone guessing - accurately - what was going to be said.

Hick is not certain to make Mike Atherton`s side against the West Indies in the fifth Test tomorrow and his growing anger and disillusionment were easy to detect as he sat on the fading green outfield after practice and tried to express his thoughts.

England had dropped the Worcestershire batsman four times in five years, but in Manchester two weeks ago he had to drive away, rejected from the final XI, on the morning of a Test, for the first time in his career. His face had been "like thunder", according to one witness.

Then Illingworth had spoken of "weeding out" players with selfish inclination, wrapped up in their own game at the expense of the team. He might, just might, have been referring to Hick.

Hick did not expect to play for England again this summer and his feeling of insecurity heightened, but Robin Smith`s broken cheekbone reopened the list of possibilities.

The implication of Illingworth`s words hurt the Zimbabweanborn player with their directness, as they must have done with Mark Ramprakash, an enigma of similar Test variation.

Hick said yesterday: "I think I`ve been mis-read a lot as a person because I don`t run around shouting and showing emotion. I believe it`s just as powerful being in control of yourself. But if you speak to those people who are close to me then I`m sure you would get a better understanding about what being successful with England means to me."

"I have a lot of self-belief - if I didn`t it would not have got me through all the rubbish that has been written and spoken about me in the past five years."

"I can`t be that bad to have scored the runs I have in the last couple of years"

He added: "I made 98 not out in my last Test of the winter in Australia, and then at Lord`s this summer I thought I batted reasonably well to make 60-odd in the second innings. I can`t be that bad to have scored the amount of runs I have made in the last couple of years though, of course, I`m not satisfied."

The burden for an outstanding county batsman, at the age of 29, of being a so-called front-ranker with only two Test hundreds in 62 innings still remained.

"Every summer we go through a similar routine, he said. "Any amount of England players have been used this summer. Talking to a lot of people I`d say it`s not really the right formula for success."

Illingworth commented before the meeting: "Everyone wants to do well, but only Graeme knows whether he wants to do better for himself or for the team.

"I want people who are prepared to die for England. That`s what we must get over to the players, and I think that this summer we`ve made great strides in that direction. People know now what`s required of them.

"Hick has all the ability in the world, and in fact no-one`s got more ability. He has done it at Test level too, but he must take over and dominate situations more.

"Yes, he was very upset at being left out at Old Trafford - but perhaps everyone has to realise there are no automatic selections for England. I expect people to be upset at being left out, but the important thing is that you show the right attitude at trying to get back in."

For Hick to face up to his own baffling failure in front of the blunt but astute Illingworth yesterday would have been more testing than a couple of hours in front of the West Indian quicks.

This Nottingham pitch could be the most docile of this series, and Hick could well cope. Whether he convinced Illingworth yesterday remains to be seen.