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Previous Stories Why Cricketers Are More Sporting Than Golfers A cracking tournament in Dhaka New Zealand cricket is on track Taranaki Ignore the Distractions An Extraordinary Sporting Family Another New Cricketing Experience Dave Eats His Crow - A First Time For Everything Black Caps Are Not Strictly For The Birds Not Beefing, Just Disappointed There Are None So Blind That Will Not See A Matter of A Satisfactory Start Horse Laughs and Crocodile Tears A Slow Over Rate Means A Slow Team
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The scene: the pressbox at an English test cricket match. The mates of the press corps show their form by willingly exchanging information. It doesn't matter. They all know that they have their own readers and they can all write much the same stuff. So when someone asks out loud about a quote from the notorious Ian Botham, he's told: "Write what you like. Everyone does." That's exactly what happened when that item came through Independent Radio News that Ken Rutherford was being approached to coach and play for Auckland. As it happened that night I was presiding over the annual general meeting of the Cornwall Cricket Club and as usual we had a visiting dignitary from the Auckland Cricket Association to give his annual report. It was Paul Lucas, a member of the seven man Board of Control, standing in for CEO Lindsay Crocker who was overseas. Paul categorically denied that Rutherford was in contention for the job, which brought a palpable sigh of relief from the members. It seems that some hack saw Crocker and Rutherford playing golf together in Johannesburg and wrote what he liked. If he had been up with the play he should have known that Rutherford has recently been reported as having applied for South African citizenship. It seems he hasn't done too badly as captain of Transvaal or whatever they call themselves now, maintaining his career average of somewhere in the mid-30's. The mood of our club was that after the book he published he would scarcely be welcome back here. The point is that this shock story was completely fabricated, as is not uncommon. Crocker being in South Africa also exacerbated it. Why is it necessary to go on a world tour to find a coach? In my view the whole coach thing is radically overdone. Cricketers don't need coaches; they are vehicles to get you to the next game. Cricketers need mentors, people of knowledge who can guide, steer and impart the motivation for cricketers to produce their best. Such mentors need a technical base to be able to provide assistance, but they don't need an American style hoopla and a huge support team. They do need to call on specific advisors. Auckland had a man last season that is closer to this mentoring style than most, in David Trist. He is technical but not over-assertive. He prefers to guide his players and not direct them. He is tough but fair and he prefers the background to the limelight. These are reasons why New Zealand tapped him and why Auckland found him good value last season. He is willing to call up specific assistance. Another of the same ilk is needed. Someone who, like Trist, will constructively criticise the structure of Auckland cricket so that its woefully weak standard is addressed. The 16 "premier" clubs must be rationalised and the playing strength stiffened so that there is a depth of players for representative honours. There are people in Auckland who can admirably fill this role and get the performances up. It seems strange to have a 50 over match sandwiched into a four test tour but the crowded English programme meant that was all the county could spare the Black Caps at the Racecourse ground at Derby. Our lads made the most of a token game, slamming over seven runs per over off the second eleven "attack". Craig McMillan hit 86 from 69 balls and Nathan Astle 31 from 13. Good looseners but hardly preparation for the next test. Now there is a four-day match with county champions Leicestershire at Grace Road. This will provide better buildup. It is interesting that Stephen Fleming is down to open in a bid to get him time in the middle and runs on the board. He has not yet realised his potential but it will come in the final two tests, just when we need it. A draftee in Andrew Penn is joining the side for one match to relieve the fast bowlers. He took 40 wickets last season at fewer than 20 each, leading the bowling with Shayne O'Connor. A good match will put Penn in good stead for the coming season, where we have tours and tests by both the West Indies and Australia. We will need all the resources at our command. | ||||||
