Personally Speaking: Disturbing sign of the times at home and abroad (12 May 1999)

12 May 1999

Personally Speaking: Disturbing sign of the times at home and abroad

EW Swanton

The seventh World Cup starts with England v Sri Lanka at Lord's on Friday and it ends there nearly five weeks and 42 matches later. If the weather is kind, it will be a captivating affair and the likeliest winners - though 50-over matches are of their nature unpredictable - I take to be Australia or South Africa.

After that, also at Lord's, the International Cricket Council have a critical meeting on the law and order problem apart from all else. Then come the four Tests against New Zealand and, simultaneously, the crucial upstairs-downstairs county scramble to determine places in next year's divided championship.

In other words, much history will have been written by the time the season ends in mid-September: not that any member attending last week's MCC annual meeting would have been the wiser on any cricket aspect affecting the club or the game. Having attended most annual meetings since my election to MCC in 1936, I decided long ago that they are normally anything but a true reflection of the character and disposition of the average MCC member (there are now 17,500). This annual meeting, however, touched a new low.

A dissident group, angered by the imposition of a £75 levy on members wishing to see the World Cup matches at Lord's, had tabled a resolution which amounted almost to a vote of no confidence: this despite hours of discussion face to face with the president and secretariat.

The committee, accordingly, decided before the annual meeting on May 5 that they would themselves ask for a vote of confidence in their handling of the club's affairs from the full membership.

Facing the financial requirement of the governing body, ICC, the committee decided on the levy per ticket rather than extract £1.4 million from the club's reserves, which those members uninterested in the World Cup or unable to attend would justifiably resent.

As it is, 8,500 members and friends will occupy fully one-third of the capacity of the ground including many of the best seats. I think the committee certainly made the fairest decision but that the membership would have appreciated a more gentle introduction to this "one-off" payment instead of a demand for which they were unprepared.

With this background at the annual meeting, the president, Tony Lewis, in the chair, found such a hostile atmosphere that he had little option, with nothing decided, but to postpone the agenda until the special general meeting.

When it happens, I hope those present will accord their distinguished president with proper respect and courtesy.

No one who saw first hand or on television the awful events of the concluding day of the Australians' West Indies tour in Jamaica will ever forget it. But, of course, only a minority did see the crowd's demonstration when one of their own men, Sherwin Campbell, was to all appearance deliberately obstructed by the bowler, Brendon Julian, and then given run-out as he lay on the ground.

As bottles and other refuse were thrown on to the field, the Australians had no option but to come off. After consultation by the referee, Raman Subba Row, and an anguished appeal for calm by Sir Garfield Sobers, no less, which received only a mixed reception, umpires and players re-emerged and the game resumed with Campbell, who had been given out, continuing his innings.

It was the only pragmatic solution to an extremely ugly situation - but, of course, it was mob rule and of all places in Barbados. There was no announcement of an Australian withdrawal of appeal or of a changed decision by the umpires. The obstruction, however, seemed so clear from most camera angles that one umpire or the other should have given the batsman not out under Law 42 (7) (Unfair Play). I cannot think that a Frank Chester or a Syd Buller would have hesitated, or indeed many of the moderns.

Sickening though the situation was, it might have been infinitely worse if a fast-flying bottle had not missed the head of Steve Waugh, the Australian captain, apparently by a few feet. Had it hit him, the injury must ha pernicious cult born in Australia and taken up by some countries with the object of disturbing the concentration of the batsmen.

I see that Alec Stewart wants the use of the stumps microphone restricted, while Arjuna Ranatunga wants it to be on all the time. It can only be an irritant - I would like to see it removed.

And yet there is a school of thought among some of our foremost players and certain writers who want our men's attitude and demeanour more "competitive", by which they mean aggressive.

Let me at least end on a cheerful note. The man behind Leicestershire's remarkable run of success, Jackie Birkenshaw, is due for an England and Wales Cricket Board interview for the England coaching job.

Leicestershire's team spirit is plain to see. He is an ex-patriot Yorkshireman who was a valuable all-rounder for Leicestershire with experience of playing on two major England tours. There's grit, calm judgment, and an essential vein of humour.

The ECB are very properly seeing other candidates for this crucial post: if they find another then his credentials will have to be pretty good.

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