- The Observer,
- Sunday May 12 2002
A grand day for the thirtysomethings. Just before the season John Crawley told us he was eager to have one more chance of playing international cricket, but he would not have dreamt that his recall would coincide with the first Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday.
Moreover it's hard to find a more optimistic cricketer than Dominic Cork. In April he pointed out that Derbyshire's prospects were not as bleak as everyone predicted since he was likely to be available for them all summer. Well, he was right on the first count. Derbyshire sit proudly on top of the Second Division; Cork has 23 wickets, but now he's been summoned to Lord's as well.
Alec Stewart only just qualifies as a thirtysomething. He's in his fortieth year. As anticipated he has been brought back after Jamie Foster's unfortunate injury. The consequence is that England enter the first Test with - on paper - one of the longest and most experienced batting line-ups in living memory. Andrew Flintoff, presumably, will stride out to the crease at number eight - unless a nightwatchman has already been in operation. The sole full-time member of the Academy to gain a place in the squad is Alex Tudor. We expected more.
Ian Bell of Warwickshire had been widely tipped and he was at the forefront of the selectors' thoughts until a late change of heart. Maybe they are feeling fragile; maybe their respect for Sri Lanka, third in the Test rankings, is boundless. Maybe they are fretting about the dearth of runs from their contracted players in their brief outings so far.
If ever there was a golden chance to blood a youngster of great potential it was in this series. The return of Stewart leant vast experience to the batting line-up so that a relative novice could be easily accommodated; the Sri Lankans are missing Muttiah Muralitharan, the one bowler capable of embarrassing a greenhorn. There will never - until Bangladesh arrive - be a better opportunity for a gentle baptism.
But in the end short-term pragmatism has prevailed. Bell has struggled for runs this summer or as Graveney put it more delicately yesterday: 'He hasn't played on the best of wickets this season and therefore has been unable to spend much time at the crease.' However Bell does have more batting hours to his name than Nasser Hussain or Michael Vaughan. In another late change of plan coach Duncan Fletcher has decided that the Test players are allowed to play in today's round of Norwich Union games. They are obviously fretting about this run-drought.
Had Muralitharan been fit Crawley's inclusion would have been less of a surprise. As he proved at The Oval in 1998, where he struck a commanding first-innings century, Crawley has the capacity to play Murali well. He has also been playing pretty well this summer for Hampshire, having liberated himself from the oppressive atmosphere of Old Trafford. His first innings for his new club was a double-century at Canterbury and he has been steady ever since. Crawley could easily excel against the Sri Lankans; so could Stewart and Cork, if selected for the final eleven. This means that any long-term plans regarding the development of young players before an Ashes tour could be scuppered. The first selection of the summer sets a pattern that is difficult to dislodge. This regime prides itself on its consistency so Crawley, for example, must expect several chances on his return to England's ranks after a three-year absence.
Crawley will play at Lord's; Cork and Ashley Giles may not. Lord's in May is seamer-country so England will probably rely on just four of them to take their wickets. Even though Cork is reportedly bowling with a higher arm and swinging the ball again; even though he loves Lord's - Graveney said to some extent he was a 'horses for courses' selection - Tudor may be preferred.
England's safety-first selection must be based more on the lack of runs scored by their batsmen rather than the sparkling form displayed by the Sri Lankan tourists as they have shivered around the country. Their batting is hugely talented though several will have to adjust very rapidly to alien conditions - hence the recall of Aravinda de Silva. But their bowlers have been carted from Canterbury to Chester-le-Street. Even on greentops they will miss Murali dreadfully. Their other class act is the little left-arm seamer, Chaminda Vaas, who will be pursuing his 200th Test wicket, but he has fragile support. Vaas may be growing a little weary by the time Flintoff advances to the crease at Lord's.
