Lewis A: Illingworth on collision course with Atherton (26Apr94)

Illingworth on collision course with Atherton By Tony Lewis

Ray Illingworth will end the psycho-babble that is written, broadcast and talked about cricket. Sports therapists and fitness gurus will be out of a job. Coaches in batting and bowling will, I hope, be sent back to the counties where they should be preparing Test cricketers of the future, not nannying those in the current side. Ray Illingworth will not need to be hands-on, he has Keith Fletcher for that. He will, however, be eyes-on and brain-on, because I am certain that he will never select a player for England whose temperament and play he has not judged for himself. 'Chairman of selectors' is a restrictive title but everyone knows that Illingworth will be more than that. He will be the ever-present scrutineer offering players grains of encouragement and helping them to face direct criticism. He never fooled himself when he played and he is unlikely to deal in euphemism when he confronts a cricketer eyeball to eyeball. There is no doubt at all that the role of England manager, which had become too powerful, will diminish. The opinion of Fletcher will be valued but will not carry the day. For all the current pleasantries I guess that Fletch will be seeking a return to Essex before his five-year contract is up. Not that there will be acrimony between old friends. The major disagreements, in fact, are likely to occur between Illingworth and the captain, though not because it is Mike Atherton. Illingworth is expecting to have a chat to his captain in the lunch and tea intervals. Casting my mind back to Illy's days as captain, I cannot hear him saying to any outside agency as he peeled off socks damp and sticky from an unsuccessful session in the field: "Come in, chairman. Where do you think I am going wrong? Sit down and tell me what I should plan next." Nor will Atherton. Captains are not like that - at least, not very good captains. Mike Atherton will want his own way over selection and approach. It is the Illingworth-Atherton link which is the most important in the chain. It may well be golden and endurable but its strength will be tested frequently by the tug of two strong personalities. Nor do I expect Illingworth to retain the network of Micky Stewart's observers. He will want to observe for himself. He is not partial to a mountain of paperwork anyway. He cannot be everywhere but the quality of his co-selectors, Fred Titmus and Brian Bolus, is beyond doubt. Titmus and Bolus, most importantly, have time to do the job properly. Titmus is a shrewd judge and, like Illingworth, he makes judgments without the garnish of excessive compliments. "A good player" in Titmus's language is exactly that. The word "brilliant" he might use about Brian Lara but probably adding, "only when he matures of course".

Brian Bolus, loquacious and enthusiastic, knows the professional game in all its aspects but crucially he learnt in Yorkshire when players were not invited by their chairman, captains and especially by their members to deal in fantasy. Illingworth, Titmus and Bolus will have no illusions about individual talents and they know how sub-standard England are in international competition. After the Caribbean experience there has been a lot said about lights at the end of tunnels but England did lose a series 3-1 to a West Indian side far less talented than their forerunners, and anyone who believes that England are a force in world cricket after the hammerings by Australia and the massive margins of defeat in India and Sri Lanka, lives in a dream land. Illingworth's understanding of cricket is out of the ordinary and not based simply on lessons learned in a long career. Richie Benaud often says that captaincy is the ability to think ahead of play, not to be left responding to it. Illingworth is so consumed with cricket that he moves through the forest of possibilities with the tread and cunning of a Leicestershire fox. Say good morning to him as he leaves his hotel and he will twitch the nose, rub his hands and declare that "wind is right direction for a few overs of out-swing with second new ball from top end, though it might be too cold to swing and so England had better keep a fielder at deepish backward short-leg for so-and-so's pick-up shot". Most correspondents are still digesting the muesli at this time. On the field with him you sense that he knows every blade of grass by name. At Lord's, the Father Time weather vane turns by one degree behind his back and he will announce "wind's on the move". He never liked giving away runs - no more than Fred Titmus - and we can be sure of a frugal approach to selection. Expensive talents such as those of Chris Lewis and Ian Salisbury will not suit a regime in which five specialist batsmen are expected to get the runs, the all-rounder has to be effective at two skills, specialist bowlers take the wickets and a specialist wicket-keeper holds the catches. Whether England have the talent to fit this template of efficiency is one of the fascinating questions facing us. No-one expects Ray Illingworth to turn England's cricket around because only Mike Atherton and his players can do that, but we will see how much improvement can be achieved by a 'back to basics' policy. Somehow, with Illingworth, I do not see the team vicar being called upon too often.

(Thanks : Daily Telegraph)