From: vigneswa@ecs.umass.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: Russell : A Man of the Future......
Date: 27 Jan 93 11:50:58 GMT

The following article was written by David Lloyd.  
Thanks: The Press Association Limited  


RUSSELL - A MAN OF THE FUTURE

David Lloyd, Press Association cricket correspondent

     For  some, Jack  Russell's  absence  from  India  remains  a
sacking offence - or should do. For the man himself, it's history.
The wicketkeeper's name will be  used in evidence on Wednesday by
those MCC  members who are determined  to pass a vote of no confi-
dence in  England's  selectors.  

     But, around the time when the sanity of Ted Dexter and Co is
being questioned at a special meeting of the  world's most famous
cricket club, Russell will be 10,000 miles away and getting  back
to  work behind the stumps.  Given the choice, of course, Glouces-
tershire's  keeper would still swap his place on England's A tour
of Australia for a call-up to Calcutta where the senior party are
about to prepare for this winter's first Test against India.  But,
like  David Gower - whose  omission  remains  the game's b iggest
talking point - Russell  accepted  weeks ago that it was  time to
move on to life's next chapter.  "It hurt when I wasn't picked to
go to India - it hurt  a lot," confirmed Russell.  "But that's in
the past  now and I  haven't paid a lot  of attention to all  the
talk that's been going on since.  "I'm really looking  forward to
the A trip to Australia. It's a new challenge, something fresh to
get my teeth into." 

	Vice-captain  Russell joins skipper  Martyn Moxon  and 13
other  players at  Heathrow tomorrow  for a two-month trip  which
pits England's second string against a variety of state sides. "I
want to play Test cricket for  England again next  summer and I'm
determined to make this tour a stepping stone  towards that aim,"
he said.  "Even  though  we  are not  playing any  representative
matches this  winter  nobody is  expecting  it to be  easy.  "The
cricket will be  hard and  very competitive - it  always is  when
teams  from England  and  Australia  meet at any level."  Russell
knows that to be true from bitter experience.  "Remember Bowral,"
he asks? 

     The  picturesque  New South  Wales town  was  where  England
suffered a  humiliating  defeat  against a scratch Aussie side on
the Ashes  tour two years ago - and where the A team  start their
campaign on Monday.  "We  are not expecting any easy games," said
manager Norman Gifford. "I'm sure the traditional rivalry between
the two  countries will be  obvious in  every match."  The A tour
principle is now firmly established after successful trips to Zim-
babwe,  Sri Lanka and West Indies in recent years.  And so is the
route from  second string to  first, trodden by the likes of Mike
Atherton, Chris Lewis and  Ian Salisbury.  Moxon's team is packed
with players capable of following the  same path.  For the moment,
at least, Russell is  travelling in the opposite  direction.  But,
unlike some MCC  members this week, a  man who remains  among the 
world's best wicketkeepers is looking forward ... not back.

===

Vicky:
UMass, Jan 27, 93
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket