From: shamim@.bellcore.com (Shamim Naqvi,MRE-2E342,829-4813,,21272)
Subject: Re: England 2nd Innings
Reply-To: shamim@.bellcore.com
Organization: Bell Communications Research, Morristown, NJ
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 92 16:32:00 GMT

In article 24914@ecst.csuchico.edu,  jawad@ecst.csuchico.edu (Jawad Ali) writes:
>In article <1992Jul26.224107.28574@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> aam9n@helga6.acc.Virginia.EDU (Ali Ahmad Minai) writes:
>>                                                              I hope
>>we don't. The temptation to get back at the "damned Pommies" must be
>>countered with principles higher than those shown by the pathetic English
>>cricket establishment.
>
>Once again, Ali, what exactly is it that makes the English cricket
>establishment pathetic?  Is it possible that a misplaced sense of
>superiority is a component of this pathos?  One of the ways that
>we can counter with higher principles, is to point out this sort of
>racism, no matter who indulges in it.
>

This component of superiority is largely due to the fact that the
English cricketing establishment is governed by old fogeys who have not
stirred from their Long Room seats in the last fifity years and no one
has had the courage to check and see if they are still alive. And their
view of us is that as long as we play exciting cricket and push the
English to where the English players start looking good, everything is
fine.  Once a team starts to scratch and claw and fight , and England
start to lose, the establishment turns mean and nasty. When Waqar takes
a hundred wickets for Surrey he is golden but when he makes English
players look bad, we have a David Lloyd who comes on the air and starts
talking about how he, David, had scratched one side of the ball on his
spikes and bowled wicked inswinging yorkers. 

How many of us know about Gooch's written complaint about Conrad
Hunte's adjudication at the Old Trafford? (Recall that Hunte chastised
both Gooch and Miandad for not controlling their players. To many of us
at the ground, Gooch's reprimand was a veiled reference to Malcolm
bowling short pitched stuff at the Pakistani tail. ) Not many, I
guess.  Now if Miandad had done this, the entire English cricketing
estab would be up in arms.

As Ali Minai and others have pointed out, TV replays have now shown
that English umpires do make mistakes. The only sane response to the
ill feeling that is generated by such mistakes is to have third country
umpires. But the English cricketing estab doesn't want to listen to
this. They keep coming up with "English umpires are the best in the
world," "who is going to pay for this panel of umpires," and "wouldn't
it be a shame that cricket comes to this stage." Ali Minai may be
correct in asserting that Pakistan did not lose because of umpiring (he
is certainly correct about their brittle batting lineup) but let me
point out that the difference in this test match was the opening stand
between Gooch and Atherton and later between Smith and Gooch. And the
Pakistanis are hopping mad about a few decisions regarding these
players.

A clear indication of this duplicity was provided on Pakistan's last
tour of England. Before the start of the series, Pakistan in a closed
door meeting requested the TCCB to not appoint David Constant to the
umpiring panel for the series. The TCCB not only refused to do this but
made the request public. This turned the press and the umpiring panel
against the Pakistan team even before a ball had been bowled. And yet
on Pakistan tours the English board and team used to routinely demand
such conveniences. This time Pakistan specifically mentioned Bird,
Holder and Shepherd as the best umpires in England. And two of these
three have not seen any action.

>And a little digression:
>It was from Shamim that I first heard the allegation that the real
>reason behind England's opposition to Zimbabwe's test status
>might have been spurned by racial and ethnic concerns.

Amazing what one picks up in the gents around the dressing rooms. 

I'd like to end with a bit of cricket rather than on this sort of thing
that leaves a bad taste.  Apparently Miandad, Rameez and Malik (the
senior members of the team) decided to bat first in case Pakistan won
the toss because they thought the wicket would not last until the
fourth innings.  This turned out to be a crucial gamble. Had Pakistan
bowled first, as they did here in 1987, things would have been a lot
different. The lesson is very clear.  The weather in England makes a
mockery of any plans about the last innings.  One has to play according
to the day.  Cloudy conditions at Headingley means you put the others
in.  As it was the second day was mostly bright and clear, the ball did
not do as much and Gooch and Atherton made the difference.


--SAN