We want Atherton back on track (18 July 1999)

18 July 1999

We want Atherton back on track

Nasser Hussain

IT has been a good couple of weeks for me, with the aftermath of the first Test victory being followed by Essex success and positive meetings with England officials. But the best news by far came as I was driving home from Southend on Wednesday: instead of hearing about Atherton's back problems, the radio instead told me that Atherton was back.

Mike Atherton, at that stage, was on 176 for Lancashire against Glamorgan and, of course, he went on to a career-best 268 not out. It could not have been a more welcome innings.

I have been desperate for Mike to get back. I have always been very close to him and there is no doubt that he is still good enough to play for England. The question is whether his back can continue to take the strain and I sincerely hope this is the start of a prolonged spell of fitness and runs from Mike. He has been through some hard times so he must be chuffed to bits.

Steve Waugh has called Mike 'The Cockroach' because, however many times people have tried to stamp on him, he always manages to crawl out from under their shoe, and it is clear to me and everyone in the England set-up that Mike still has that hunger to succeed, particularly while his contemporaries remain in the side.

We are going to have to sit down and have a meeting about Atherton - me, David Graveney, a physio and perhaps Mike himself - between now and the winter tour to review his case, consider the matter of internal flights during a tour and see whether we can get him back where he belongs, playing Test cricket. Remember how good his record is against South Africa.

In the meantime, I just hope every newspaper and TV commentator continues to write him off because nothing will give Mike more satisfaction than proving them all wrong. I think I'll send him any negative cuttings I can find just to give him that extra push!

That is for the future. For now, the Lord's Test beckons and it is safe to say that there will not be many changes from the team who defeated New Zealand at Edgbaston. The big issue, of course, will be the successful return of Darren Gough for Yorkshire against Warwickshire, another excellent development. I cannot emphasise strongly enough that we want Darren back as quickly as possible and, if he is fit, then we will have the sort of healthy competition for places that we need.

The first I heard of Darren's comeback was when Graveney rang to tell me Yorkshire had injury problems and they needed him to play. My first thought was one of caution and to ask if he was definitely fit.

The feeling was that he would not be sure until he played. He has come through well and I will be ringing him to see what the situation is. Then the priority will be to consider the next year - not just the next match - and make sure Darren really is match-fit when he returns.

The priority for the team who do take the field is to put the Lord's hoodoo to rest. I just cannot see why other sides should lift themselves more than England when they play at 'headquarters' and I think it's interesting that the Englishmen who have done well at Lord's are usually the ones who are very, very proud to be English. People like Graham Gooch and Jack Russell. It's the guys who say: 'This is our home. We love playing here. This is where we belong'. That's what we've got to instil in everyone. In the dressing room there is an honours board with the names of players who have taken five wickets or scored centuries in a Lord's Test. We must all be aiming to get our names on that board.

Now it is time to let you in on a little secret. Alex Tudor, our hero at Edgbaston, could easily have missed out on the chance of being nightwatchman and making history. The identity of the man who wanted to take his place might surprise you.

Phil Tufnell has been brilliant, both in the first Test and in our match against Middlesex at Southend. He bowled to me a lot on Wednesday and Thursday before bowling me for 99 - interesting career move, Cat - and he was absolutely magnificent without having any luck. In the past he might have kicked dust and thought the world was against him but he just kept on going, encouraging others, and he seems to me like a new Phil Tufnell. The nightwatchman volunteer? Yes, it was Phil.

On the second night when we were preparing for our second innings, I had nominated Andrew Caddick to be our nightwatchman. Then someone else, I can't remember who, said it should be Tudor and I was happy to go along with that. Then Tufnell rushed up to Graham Gooch and said: "Let me do it. Tudes and Caddy are batting too well to be wasted on that job." We all told him we were happy with Tudor, but his attitude was pleasing.

The same was true of Caddick. He has been said to be difficult but he was given licence to be his natural self and he responded.

Lord's will be a huge Test for him. He has proved he can fit in and that he can bowl well when conditions are in his favour. A repeat performance is the next step.

I will be looking to improve a couple of areas in our performance when we gather on Tuesday. Firstly, our catching. It was Alec Stewart who missed a couple last time but it has happened to others, including me, in the past and we just cannot afford to waste chances if we are to beat the likes of Australia and South Africa.

Just look at Mark Ramprakash in Melbourne last winter - taking half-chances can turn matches and the only answer is practice. As I have already said, I much prefer skills practice to drills.

Secondly, on a personal level, I must look at my running between wickets. The run-out between me and Mark Butcher at Edgbaston was down to a lack of communication - he was playing drop it and run, which was probably right, while I wanted to cut out any unnecessary risks. But a lot of people have me down as a run-out specialist and I have been involved in a few, so I must work it out.

I scored a century in last year's Lord's Test but I could not enjoy it because we were beaten a couple of hours later. A repeat hundred in a winning team would be perfect and there is no doubt that the first day is crucial. If we can do well then, when New Zealand will be looking to hit back at us, we may have broken their spirit.

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