Juniors show healthy appetite (2 August 1999)

2 August 1999

Juniors show healthy appetite

David Lloyd

I left Lord's last week after England's defeat at the hands of the Kiwis angry and in a sombre mood. My week was busy though, and I have seen a lot of cricket.

On Wednesday it was the NatWest quarter-final between Lancashire and Yorkshire at Old Trafford. It turned out to be the usual private affair and, as they say in the North, "nowt to do with anyone else". It was played to a packed house and after years of trying, Yorkshire beat the "old enemy" in their own back yard.

On Friday my travels took me to Ampleforth College to watch an under-15 counties B festival. Eight teams took part, including London schools and Scotland. A popular talking point since Nasser Hussain's appointment as captain of England has been the number of players of Asian and West Indian origin playing in representative sides. I am delighted to say that those players were very evident at the festival.

Ampleforth is such a perfect place for junior cricket and can stage four matches at once. The sun shone the whole week, there were good players on view and I wish that all the people who make regular comment about the game being dead had been there to see the competition and keenness of the players.

I was surrounded on a number of occasions by young Asians asking questions about their hero, Nasser Hussain. The Scots players talked only of Gavin Hamilton and I saw that these children do have heroes and they do have dreams and ambitions to play at the highest level.

Their questions were lovely and intelligent: Who's the quickest? What is touring like? How much does Shane Warne spin it? I felt good and contented, and it is at festivals like Ampleforth that the game is in safe hands and flourishing. Don Wilson, the former Yorkshire and England spinner, oversees everything and I hope everyone realises the huge amount of good he, and the teachers, at their own expense, are doing for the game.

Now to two things that troubled me. I watched one game where the behaviour of the team was unacceptable. Boorish antics and mindless inane chatter every delivery are not in the spirit of the game and heaven forbid if the Test arena conveys that message. It is up to those in charge to nip it in the bud.

The second thing is the role of the parents. Please, just let the players play. Let them enjoy it. Our time has been and gone and our job is to fetch and carry and not to turn into Bob Woolmer if little Jimmy gets out first ball.

Saturday took me to Chelmsford for the under-19s' one-day international between England and Australia. England are a formidable team at this level and the million-dollar question is why do we not convert this to senior level? There are many reasons but I will concentrate on one. Seventy-five per cent of the England team on view were professional cricketers with county teams. Salaries would range from £8,000-£25,000 at this level. With that would come sponsored equipment, expenses, endorsements and maybe a car.

None of the Australian team were professionals. I spoke to Justin Langer, Australia's No 3 batsman and Middlesex's overseas player. We agreed on the "too much too soon" syndrome. The blame is not with the players, but with an old system of second XI cricket that simply does not work any more.

Langer talked about a hunger and a passion to get into the State first XI because that, and only that, is where the rewards start in Australia. My message to all our young players is that success is nothing to do with your contract, your car, your sunglasses and free bats. It is to do with how badly you want it, what sacrifices you are prepared to make and what commitment you can give. Get that right and the rest will fall into place.

The game ended in a win for Australia. It was a thrilling finish with the visitors showing all the character and will to win in a tight situation that you expect from their teams. Australia always talk a good game and we get sucked into the excellence of their Academy. In Australia you will hear fierce argument about its merits but it has many detractors in high places. In England we have a development of excellence which is envied worldwide and it is this that makes us a force at this level.

This takes me nicely on to the events of this week at Old Trafford. Once again, England have gone back to players who have been discarded. Michael Atherton is fit and, therefore, is a must to play. Six thousand Test runs demand that. He is also a rock, a character and a player with the ability to bat for a day. England need him.

How does Graeme Hick feel? He returns for the eighth time. Is it fair to him? What about the message that it sends to the cricketing public? Once again we have ditched a young player á là Flintoff and Hollioake B. Aftab Habib has had three innings and failed, but two games ago he was the likely lad who was to be given a chance. How does he feel?

Far better for the selectors to say to the nation that we are going with younger players and sticking with them. It may be difficult for a while but we will stick with them. The public would buy that. Fourteen players have been selected to cover all eventualities and, of course, it goes without saying that if anyone falls ill on the day, Angus Fraser will be at Newport Pagnell service station waiting for the call.

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