Malcolm's Case Sparks Renewed Pressure For Right Of Reply (23 Jan 1996)

Electronic Telegraph Tuesday 23 January 1996

Malcolm`s case sparks renewed pressure for right of reply

By Christopher Martin-Jenkins

One-Day Series Averages

THE England team return home from South Africa this morning to news that their representative body, the Professional Cricketers` Association, are seeking on their behalf a right of reply to any criticisms aired against them in the media.

The cause clbre is Devon Malcolm, who felt strongly enough about the derogatory remarks of the England manager Ray Illingworth and his bowling coach Peter Lever to break his tour contract by telling his side of the story in a tabloid newspaper, for considerable reward and at the risk of what might have remained of his international career.

Dermot Reeve`s public admission yesterday that he was "angry and hurt" at being left out of the World Cup party showed that Malcolm is not the only disgruntled man among the 21 who represented England at various times during a tour which disintegrated dismally in the last three weeks after a long build-up and during which much of England`s cricket was perfectly respectable.

The empirical evidence is all too clear that the policy of introducing four towards the end of the first-class programme disrupted team spirit and made no difference to the one-day results.

Reeve`s complaint was that he was given too little chance to remind Illingworth and Mike Atherton, who between them chose the teams on tour and for the World Cup, what a potent force he could be in limited-overs cricket.

Reeve felt that it was unjust he should have been given only two games when he had played no cricket since last summer

Reeve said: "I have played just twice, bowling 19 overs and facing just 18 balls when batting. Last night was awful after Mike Atherton told me I was not in the World Cup party. I was angry and hurt, but I will bounce back."

Reeve felt that it was unjust he should have been given only two games when he had played no cricket since last summer.

It seemed, certainly, that Illingworth and Atherton decided very early on that Craig White was the better bet as an all-rounder, although his record cannot compare with Reeve`s as a one-day cricketer. Reeve has often been a match-winner, certainly at county level; White, so far, has been a useful contributor.

Illingworth has had unswerving faith in White`s ability from the moment that he plucked him out of the Yorkshire dressing-room into England`s two years ago, and it would do the chairman`s much reduced stock a great deal of good if his protege were to have a successful World Cup.

Warwickshire`s effervescent captain was gracious enough to admit that White is "a good cricketer and he has played better than me."

Reeve thereby managed to get his message across without offending anyone, which is what both Illingworth and Malcolm palpably failed to do in the continuing affair of the discontented fast bowler.

The PCA`s financial adviser, Harold Goldblatt, said yesterday that the association wanted to meet the Test and County Cricket Board after the World Cup.

They are seeking a revision to the draconian regulations about players speaking in public. Choosing his words carefully, Goldblatt nevertheless made it plain that the PCA believed the rules to be unbalanced.

Illingworth`s plain speaking is often refreshing, but it was a dramatic failure in Malcolm`s case

"They are regarded by some as an infringement of the rights of individuals and the rules of natural justice. We discuss a number of things with the board. This particular matter has been highlighted by the Devon Malcolm case."

Illingworth`s relationship with Malcolm started badly in South Africa with the perfectly reasonable attempt to make his action more consistent and with the subsequent clumsy public undermining of a bowler viewed with respect and apprehension by the South Africans. It ended with the manager apparently blaming the fast bowler for the loss of the Cape Town Test and with it the series, in full view and hearing of the rest of the team.

Illingworth`s plain speaking is often refreshing, but it was a dramatic failure in Malcolm`s case. The fast bowler held the high moral ground while he maintained his dignified silence, but he conceded it by telling his story for an estimated #10,000 and broke his tour contract, which forbade unauthorised public comment on the tour before the end of March.

When the dust has settled on the tour, the TCCB will inevitably have to punish this most sweet-natured of fast bowlers.

It was already unlikely that Malcolm would play for England again, given the loss of Atherton`s confidence in him, regardless of whether the board decide in March to renew Illingworth`s contract as chairman and manager for two more home seasons.

It was among many tidying up duties in South Africa of the conscientious administrative manager John Barclay, a man of peace sandwiched in this case between an unmoveable object and irresistible force, to keep an eye and ear on what players said to the press, but he could hardly shackle the chairman of selectors nor indeed the bowling coach Peter Lever.

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