Russell defiant as Lord`s seeks to tone down critical words (29 Apr 1997)

Tuesday 29 April 1997

Russell defiant as Lord`s seeks to tone down critical words

Christopher Martin-Jenkins.

MONEY is unlikely to be the main reason behind Jack Russell`s decision to defy the England Cricket Board`s request that he should alter a chapter in his forthcoming book and thereby delay its publication.

Russell, 49 times England`s wicketkeeper, stands to make "hundreds of thousands of pounds" from a contract as an artist later this year, according to his longstanding agent, Jim Ruston. If that is the case, financial gain is not likely to be the motive for the contentious comments in Jack Russell Unleashed.

Ruston said final details of a contract involving television had yet to be formally agreed but added: "Jack will make hundreds of thousands of pounds between the end of the season and Christmas, whether or not he goes on the tour of the West Indies."

Russell`s miserable tour of Zimbabwe and New Zealand was a classic example of the ill wind which blows no one good. He completed 30 pictures during his months of inactivity - he played only eight days` cricket on the 16 week tour which ended in early March - and at a single exhibition at his gallery in Chipping Sodbury on his return he sold 85 percent of them for a total of 35,000.

Speaking before going in to make 28 not out off only 15 balls in Gloucestershire`s match against the British Universities at Bristol yesterday, Russell said he would fight the ECB legally if necessary over any attempt to fine or suspend him over the publication of his book. It will be launched on May 19 at the Imperial War Museum, reflecting this singular character`s fascination with military history and the exploits of British soldiers.

Russell is strongly critical in his book of Ray Illingworth`s management of England in South Africa in 1995-96, saying: "By the end of the last World Cup he had lost our respect and was a lame duck. His relationship with the captain, Mike Atherton, became so difficult that the players lined up in Athers`s corner. . . Mike kept his head down and, on occasion, he was undermined in front of his own players by Illingworth."

These may be strong words but the sentiments are hardly new ones. As was the case when Illingworth found himself in a dispute over sections of a book with his employers, the Test and County Cricket Board, when he was still chairman of selectors last season, the board are in danger of pushing themselves and their contracted player into opposite corners in an unwanted bout.

Russell said: "I want to play for England again and I`m certainly not looking for a fight, but I kept to the rules by submitting the manuscript to Lord`s for approval by March 24. They have still not told me exactly what parts they were unhappy about, only that they were in chapter 10. The order to make changes came after the publishers` deadline last Friday and I had no option but to honour my contract with them."

Tony Brown, the administrator at Lord`s whose responsibility it was to check the manuscript - and, coincidentally, also a former Gloucestershire captain - was away from Lord`s yesterday, when part of the offending chapter appeared as an extract in the Daily Mail. The ECB`s chief executive, Tim Lamb, said: "We will look at this article and if there are any concerns it will be referred to the discipline committee."

Disciplinary procedures have been streamlined as a result of the long-running saga over Illingworth`s ghosted book and his comments on Devon Malcolm last year. Illingworth was fined 2,000 for bringing the game into disrepute in June but had the fine overturned after an appeal to the now defunct Cricket Council in September. Under the new formula, Russell`s case would be heard by Gloucestershire first, but their cricket secretary, Philip August, said that they had had no official communication with the board yet.

If the chairman of the disciplinary committee, Gerard Elias QC, were to deem any action taken by the county to be "insufficient" he could take quick action himself for a small disdemeanour, or refer the matter to a three-man panel if the offence is of "a more serious nature". In that case Russell would be represented by a member of the Professional Cricketers Association. Although not directly involved, this would be the first case of a possible conflict of interest for David Graveney in his role as chairman of selectors and general secretary of the PCA.

If the panel were to take action with which Russell disagreed, a new appeal procedure would be followed, over a much shorter time-scale than before. Russell and his agent have, however, already taken legal advice and are clearly confident of their right to publish and be damned.

If Alec Stewart`s form for England holds up the chances are that a younger reserve wicketkeeper would go to the West Indies early next year, but as things stand Russell, who has started the season in excellent form both with the gloves and the bat, is only a broken finger away from his 50th Test - legal matters permitting.

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