From: vigneswa@ecs.umass.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: English Team : A player-by-player review
Date: 27 Jan 93 13:51:43 GMT

Charles Randall offers a player-by-player guide to the successes
and failures in the first  month of the tour Salisbury makes the
most of his big break

Thanks:  The Daily Telegraph


     GRAHAM GOOCH After a first week saying "no comment" about his
marriage  problems, his  second  week seemed full of Why-Not-Gower
questions from the Indian media, sardonically  answered.  His work
ethic  has  shown its  value in India  where  health is nearly  as
important as practice.  He admits to feeling his  age after a long
innings and hopes there will be plenty of those. 

     ALEC STEWART The slow  pitches and  the skill  of the  Indian
spinners could yet curb  his progress  towards the pinnacle as Eng-
land's best batsman.  His wicketkeeping has been notably good, and
in one- and  three-day games  any reservations  about him on  this
score have  been banished.  Five days, though, will test  his endu-
rance in the heat further south. 

     MICHAEL ATHERTON He kicked off with a measured 59 in the open-
ing innings of the tour and his omission from the side for the one-
day internationals had been widely expected. His health became fra-
gile anyway.  Despite his seven-ball duck at the weekend, the Test
series  should provide him with  the chance  to establish  himself
again as the most reliable opening partner for Gooch. 

     RICHARD BLAKEY Only injury or illness to Stewart will allow a
proper  chance in  India as a  wicketkeeper, though he  may make a
Test debut in Sri Lanka as compensation. An even-natured member of
the party, any frustration would be understandable as  on his last
tour he once  batted for 10  hours in making  221 for England A in
Zimbabwe. A  repeat of that  here is as likely  as snow in  Madras.

     PHIL DeFREITAS As  probably  England's  best bowler  over the
last couple  of  years he  has looked  plain, which  is surprising.
Worse still, he has had little luck.  Typically resourceful spells
in the first two one-day internationals restored much of his credi-
bility, but his wickets in the second match at Chandigarh were his
first of the tour, except one in an unofficial practice game. 

     JOHN EMBUREY His worldly-wise confidence as the oldest player
has taken a jolt with the flurry of  12 sixes  off him, led by the
destructive Sidhu, before the one-day series  started.  His advice
and support for Gooch as a long-time friend has been valuable, but
not enough  to prevent his  international career, recently revived, 
falling into decline. 

     NEIL FAIRBROTHER His passage was  booked through  his one-day
prowess and  he is paying his ticket as an essential member of the
side, a key figure in the opening international win in Jaipur. His
eager response to  the helter-skelter  tempo has not yet been modi-
fied to  cope with  Test cricket, and he  still has much to  prove
with his slightly crooked technique. 

     MIKE GATTING The  most impressive  of the  batsmen, and  that
would be no surprise to those who have watched him murder spinners
on the county circuit.  Though he coughs politely when Indian well-
wishers mention Gower, the selectors could surely not have omitted
him under any circumstances, certainly not as a straight either-or-
choice. 

     GRAEME HICK His tour, as  expected, has  been one  of intense
pressure to justify his captain's faith in him  after the failures
against Pakistan last summer. His patchy one-day form in India has
not helped.  His woodenness at the  crease has allowed the leading
Indian  spinners to work  out a strategy  against him.  Aggression
looks to be his best means of an effective response. 

     PAUL JARVIS Since becoming the youngest player to make a York-
shire debut, at the age of 16 in 1981, this fast  bowler has under-
achieved for a variety of reasons.  He claimed, before leaving for
India, that he  had never  bowled faster  than last summer  and to
date his form has been outstanding. A surprise choice, he looks as
though he will become the tour's selection success.

     CHRIS LEWIS Most of  what has been expected of his  undoubted
talent has blossomed in the first part of the tour, especially his
spiky fast-medium bowling.  He has not had  a real chance with the
bat, but he seems likely to  have a big say if  England are to win
either  the one-day or  Test series.  His inner-ring  fielding has
also been a decidedly useful asset to the side. 

     DEVON MALCOLM Supposedly  England's fastest bowler on his day,
he has barely run up to the wicket in anger  since the first match.
He was not especially effective but his lack of activity will mean
that the main shock for this  shock bowler will  be playing at all.
The  pitches do not appear  to suit him, but he cannot  be written
off, especially when Geoff Arnold adds his coaching expertise. 

     DERMOT REEVE This resourceful  and  enthusiastic  all-rounder
has to present a case for  himself with scraps of  opportunity and
within such limitations  he has not done badly.  He has been faith-
fully compiling a video of the tour on  his camcorder and will pro-
bably  be in  a  position, however  reluctantly, to record his col-
leagues taking the field during the Test series. 

     IAN SALISBURY England are bound to use his  leg-breaks in the
Tests as  an extraordinary  turn-up for the book, having  intended
him to tour  for a month only as a net bowler. His form in the net
has almost forced the  selectors to make a U-turn and  England are
all the stronger for that. Conclusion: a coup for Patrick Whitting-
dale, who sponsored his scheduled stay.

     ROBIN SMITH Has  hit a rich vein of  runs in the last week to
bring  him  confidence  after what  was beginning to  look an alar-
mingly  bad tour.  His toe injury  prevented  serious nets in  the
first week and ill-health then blunted his sharpness. However, the
perception that his firm-wristed strokeplay would be ill-suited to
spin has not yet been countered. 

     PAUL TAYLOR His presence has  become less  of a gamble  since
taking five wickets in his first bowl of the tour.  He has  waited
patiently for his  chance, though his success  has been based more 
on accuracy and perseverance than swing. Left-arm seam bowlers are
regarded like  alien beings in  India, because  they  are so  rare.
This selection hunch has so far stood up to scrutiny. 

     PHIL TUFNELL His form has been  tidy without holding  promise
of scything  through a side, especially in a  country well used to
left-arm spin.  His relative lack of  snap probably influenced the
decision to induct Salisbury's leg-breaks. Tufnell's moment should
come in the Tests, but there is not the guarantee that appeared to
be there before the tour started.

===

Vicky:
UMass, Jan 27, 93