Stewart must throw down gauntlet (15 December 1998)

15 December 1998

Stewart must throw down gauntlet

By Mark Nicholas

THE ENGLAND captain's first significant move in dealing with the frustration which must have been niggling away at his No 4 batsman and wicketkeeper was taken yesterday in Adelaide. Mark Ramprakash walked to the crease in his place.

It is a clear fact that even as resourceful a fellow as Alec Stewart cannot cope with all that is being asked of him against opponents as powerful as these Australians. There has not been a wicketkeeper who regularly and successfully batted as high as four in the order in Test match cricket, and there is no reason why there should be one now. Add the captaincy to the conundrum and you've got a no-brainer for our Alec.

There is a side of Stewart that is driven by bravado. He can't bear the idea of retreat so instead he struts on, defiant of the idea that he is not up to it, determined to prove he can go where no man has gone before. But the point is not whether he is up to it, the point is that no one is up to it and that for Stewart to give an inch, and more, would be smart, not soft.

If England are to beat Australia at all, they have to play to 100 per cent of their ability and ensure that Australia play to no more than 80 per cent of theirs. For this to happen Stewart, the pivotal figure, must be at his best when batting. He has the natural talent to attack when no other can attack, he has the mental strength to guts it out in any company. But every time England play against the best team in the world Stewart is preoccupied with another role, and now with two, which just doesn't wash.

Most probably he cannot appreciate this himself because it is too close to him, too subjective, and few people can judge themselves as efficiently as others judge them.

He can manage physically all right, he is as fit as a fiddle and laced with enthusiasm, but he hasn't a cat in hell's chance of managing mentally. Think of the distractions. Think of the extraordinary level of concentration, of single-minded hour-upon-hour focus that is needed to keep wicket underneath the sapping skies of the southern hemisphere.

Think of the overall responsibility, which is bound to lead to worry, of leading your country when they are not doing well. Think of the PR job, the tactical job, the man-management job, the selection job. Think of all this and then ask the poor blighter to walk out to bat at the sharp end. No way; not against these blokes. You've got to be all there against these blokes, you can't miss by a millimetre.

Yesterday Stewart relented a little and dropped himself down to No 5, as he ought to have done in the first innings after the most draining day-and-a-half in the field any England team may have ever had in Australia. He has ended up at No 6 because of the use of the nightwatchman. By the time this is read, we will know how he has done.

Succeed or fail, six is where he should stay unless England bat first. Six is no cop-out. Clive Lloyd, Gary Sobers, Allan Border, often even Viv Richards - they batted at six and did OK.

But perhaps best of all he should take those gloves off, give the captaincy his best shot and bat at the top of the order where he belongs. Then we would find out if Australia have got the measure of him as they think they have. Frankly, I doubt it.

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