Peter Deeley: Lloyd gets his way in new England regime (7 Aug 1996)

August 7 1996

Lloyd gets his way in new England regime

By Peter Deeley

DAVID LLOYD is on the verge of being appointed to lead England`s winter tours of Zimbabwe and New Zealand.

He revealed this at Headingley yesterday - where the team were preparing for tomorrow`s second Test against Pakistan - as news emerged that bowling coach Peter Lever had tendered his resignation with effect from the final Test at the end of this month.

Lloyd said he hoped to be offered a two-year contract during the Leeds game. The exact title remains to be decided, though if suggestions in the Acfield Report were to be followed, Lloyd would be coach - rather than manager as Ray Illingworth was - in charge of a general budget that would enable him to appoint his own specialist coaches.

Lloyd said that he expected Michael Atherton to be captain on both winter tours, rather than opting to have one or the other sector off. "Michael is adamant: he wants to do both tours," he said.

Lloyd denied that there had been any disagreement between himself and Lever over what has been described as the new "gung-ho" spirit in the England dressing room. "And we don`t cuddle," he said indignantly in reference to a remark explaining Lever`s decision in one newspaper.

Without expanding, Lloyd said that Lever had been "very much" Illingworth`s appointment. But it is clear that, with the continued absence of batting coach John Edrich, Lever`s imminent departure means that the England coaching and management structure created by Illingworth has now been destroyed.

In its place Lloyd emerges as the strong man, with the power to create his own unit. Yes, he agreed, everything was going his way, "but it would be nice to start winning again".

Illingworth, still chairman of selectors until the Oval Test has finished, was refusing to make any comment. He would only confirm that he had talked with Lever about the coach`s own position.

It may have been a signal that Lever`s star was on the wane when Lloyd took charge of a bowling machine in the Headingley nets - before torrential rain ended events - while the bowling coach was going through traditional "throw-downs".

Lloyd said that once contract details had been settled, he hoped to be with England at least up to the next World Cup in 1999. That would take in Australian Ashes series at home and away, a winter tour of the West Indies and a home series against South Africa.

"If you look at the coming winter, the [coaching] personnel will perhaps be suggested by me and the role of specialist coaches will be slightly different than it is now," he added. "The Acfield Report says there will be a coaching budget and I can spend that as I see fit."

Lloyd said that in line with the Acfield Report recommendations, he would be "quite happy" not to have a say in team selection. "That would make my position easier with regard to the players themselves. It gives a coach more scope with the players.

"Of course I shall be asked for my input on team selection. It happens that way in Australia."

It may have been a signal that Lever`s star was on the wane when Lloyd took charge of a bowling machine in the Headingley nets - before torrential rain ended events - while the bowling coach was going through traditional "throw-downs".

This was the first time Lloyd had used the Bola machine in England practice sessions. The purpose was to try to simulate the menace of Waqar Younis, who played such a part in Pakistan`s Lord`s victory with eight wickets.

Lloyd cranked the machine up to 96 out of a maximum 100 calibrations. This produced balls delivered at a speed of about 75 mph (Waqar was reaching 84 mph at Lord`s). He concentrated on sending down late-swinging deliveries and yorkers. "It is good practice for what we feel we will be up against in the Test," he said.

But only composition balls were used. Lloyd explained: "With proper balls you could break a man`s foot. With these balls, it can hurt but you don`t damage them."

He hinted that Alec Stewart might revert to opening the batting with Atherton and that, as a left-hander, Nick Knight might drop down the order to try to nullify the leg-spin of Mushtaq Ahmed. "But we have many options," said Lloyd, "and we won`t decide until we have our first sight of the pitch."

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