Ian Chappell: Resigning will come easy for Atherton (24 August 1997)

Sunday 24 August 1997

Resigning will come easy for Atherton

By Ian Chappell

A long time ago, former Australian captain Richie Benaud told me: "Retiring is the easiest decision you`ll ever make."

I suspect Mike Atherton would have held the same sentiment about resignation on Thursday when Australia were quickly 49 without loss in reply to England`s paltry 180. Atherton does not strike me as the type to go on banging his head against a brick wall and that must surely be how he felt until Phil Tufnell commenced his magnificent spell.

The England captain was desperate to defeat Australia in this series, or at the very least force them to engage in a monumental bat- tle to retain the Ashes. The way his team have unravelled after making a good start to the summer will have been a grave disappointment to a proud man.

Atherton has put on a brave face in defeat and also graciously acknowledged Australia`s superiority. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that deep down he will apportion a good deal of the responsibility for defeat to himself. That is the nature of the job if a player wants to become a good captain.

Atherton has improved as a captain, which is not surprising for an intelligent man with a competitive drive. However, he may have ignored or been unaware of the first principle of being a good captain - if you win the team gets the praise, if you lose the captain receives the kick in the bum.

Once that principle is recognised, a captain is well on the way to becoming a good leader because he will proceed to do the job his way. If that approach is adhered to then there are no regrets in retirement.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Atherton will question himself for not taking charge at crucial times during his captaincy. For example, there were times when he should have ordered extra nets. The best examples would be instead of having a "bonding" session before the Headingley Test and after England were dismissed cheaply in the second innings at Trent Bridge and the first at the Oval.

There are technical deficiencies in this England batting lineup. After four years they are no closer to solving the riddle of how to play Shane Warne and too many do not cover off stump properly. These problems can only be sorted out by trying things in the nets after much thought and discussion among the team. They will not be overcome by driving cars blindfolded and indulging in kids` games before a day`s play or having long meetings without follow-up work in the nets.

Because so many "extras" have been implanted into the modern game, there is a tendency to believe the captain`s job involves only the hours from 11 to six on match days. These "extras" have to justify their position so they offer all sorts of newfangled solutions to problems, when the simple act of improving a player`s game is what is required. A captain should never delegate any task that impinges on the winning of a cricket match.

Sure, Atherton has made mistakes and because he is an honest man he will admit to some blunders. However, his captaincy will have been less successful than he would have hoped simply because Eng- land don`t bat, bowl or field well enough to compete with a team of Australia`s ability and resolve over a series.

There is still a huge gap between the two teams and although it has narrowed since Atherton took over, there is no sign that it will close this century. That is why I believe Atherton will resign as England`s captain. It will be the correct decision for Michael Atherton.

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