'Team England' set for launch (5 May 1999)

5 May 1999

'Team England' set for launch

Michael Henderson

The county cricketer, fed and watered by his county, could soon become a thing of the past. If the 18 first-class counties agree at a meeting next Thursday to endorse the proposals of a committee chaired by Don Trangmar, the Sussex chairman, the country's leading players will in future be employed by 'Team England'.

The indications are that the First Class Forum (the counties, in voting form) will open the gates towards central employment. From spring next year, 16 players would be engaged on six-month retainers, with short-term contracts offered to seven or eight one-day specialists. Counties would be compensated for the loss of players and the system reviewed after three years.

The players would be available for their counties only when it suited the requirements of the national team. They would play in knockout matches but selection for the championship, the bedrock of the domestic game, would be at the behest of the England management.

Leading players like Graham Thorpe and Darren Gough would therefore be occasional county performers, just as the best Australians and South Africans are. It is not an exact comparison. The domestic programmes in those countries are not as congested as in England.

Before then, a full-time manager will be appointed to run the England team, working alongside David Lloyd's successor as coach. The manager will be an administrative figure capable of dealing with all aspects of touring life. The diligence that Steve Bernard has brought to the job in Australia shows that a successful career in first-class cricket is not necessarily the most important part of an applicant's curriculum vitae.