PROBE_ENGLISH_TEAMS_10MAR1996

Full Probe Into How English Teams Are Run

LONDON - A full probe into how the England cricket team is selected and managed was announced on Wednesday.

Representatives of England`s county clubs, gathered at Lord`s for the Test and County Cricket Board`s spring meeting, decided to set up a special working party under David Acfield.

England, soundly beaten on their recent South African tour, are going through a disastrous spell and have only just managed to qualify for the World Cup quarter-finals where bookmakers expect them to succumb to Sri Lanka.

Acfield, chairman of the TCCB`s cricket committee and also chairman of Essex, has been given a wide brief "to review all aspects relating to the administration, selection and management of England teams at home and abroad.``

Alan Smith, the TCCB chief executive, said: "This will be an all-encompassing review that will look at all areas that have a bearing on the performance of our national teams.

"If you like, this will be a brain-storming process and I think the formation of this working party is only good business practice. Things should be continually reviewed.``

However, the idea was not on the meeting`s original agenda and came up under "any other business`` when county chairmen "hatched", in Smith`s words, this latest attempt to regenerate England as a world cricket power.

The hasty formation of Acfield`s working party shows how urgent England`s 18 first-class counties feel the situation has become.

Acfield has been asked to make his recommendations before the end of this summer, although Ray Illingworth`s position as chairman of selectors comes to an end on March 31 after two years.

The 20 members of the TCCB -- the 18 counties plus MCC and the minor counties -- were asked on Wednesday to submit their nominations for the job by March 20.

Despite the team`s current woes, Illingworth could be voted in again or stay on in his other role as manager.

Smith said: "Ray has told us that he does not want to tour again, so he will not be manager of the England side which goes to Zimbabwe and New Zealand next winter.

"But he would be willing to manage the side against India and Pakistan this summer, and he could anyway be re-elected as chairman of selectors.``

Meanwhile, in changes to the English county championship from 1997 three points will be awarded for draw instead of none and matches will start on Wednesday instead of Thursday to stop county clashes straddling Sunday one-day games.

Source:: Sunday Observer (https://www.lanka.net)