1961-02-25 — Page 23

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1961.

England's No. 1 selector replies to Worrell in a blunt talk with ALEX BANNISTER

It's rubbish, says, Gubby Allen

WE'LL PLAY

ALL OUT -WIN OR LOSE

GUBBY ALLEN

Frank Worrell's criticisms of the English approach to Test cricket are not borne out by facts, says G. O. Allen, chairman of the England selectors.

He gave me his view in a sturdy but not-too-partisan defence

of our cricketers in an exclusive interview at Lord's. Yet "Gubby" Allen is candid enough to say, despite his own responsibility for shaping a winning England team in this summer's series, that he wants dynamic cricket-even though it might leave Australia with the Ashes.

He

described as "rubbish" be chosen, could agree to Worrell's charge that England dynamic approach with the places so much prestige on, Asics at stake? winning that she is a bad loser.

ALLEN: First I would like to This is how our question-and-praise Franide Worrell and his answer interview ran:

icam for the great boost they given 10 cricket.

made by capiring and adminis=1 I saw, too the suggestion that best known to themselves, the trators to brighten up the game, Dayld Allen took almost as long ; West In You showed no sense of Would you mind if England to bowl an over of off-spinners ¦ urgency, and thus threw away lost the Ashes in the causo of na fast bowler Wesley Hall, two wonderħd opportunities of dynamic cricket?

While I think Allen takes much defeating England?

England's over rate ia the Wost Indies, though not good, was ogain slightly better than the heme aldo's.

Net in the least, provided aloo long to bowl an over, it is! Worrell complains the Eng- high standard of cricket is rubbish to say he takes nearly fish players are had mixers and maintained. In other words as long as Hall.

do moi Interchange, dresstup do not think a Test should be

room visits-an do the Austra a slogging match. There is a

itans.. In this true? happy medium, which, in recent tours,

has not always been zehleved and I do not mean only tours in which England have been involved.

Justified?

I am not sufficiently well in- formed on this' point, as I have I think the overall rate by all not been on an overseas touri countries in recent years ha fer some years. I am De been far too slow. It is one of Worrell holds these views the things which drive specta- whether they are correct or not, tors, including me, absolutely because I have niways believed frantic. It can be easily in that a large part of the joy of you think

after Worrell's creased, and in my opinion this crickel 19 meeting

the criticisms of the Engual ap- is vital if the game is to be kept match. proach to cricket" tel. other alive.

justified? paints he raised are

Are England's batemen I think recriminations are slow?

Do

seldom helpful, and some of the

recent ones oro not borne out by facts. I noted in one inter- view that he was quoted as say

on

Too slow?

100

While I am not proud of Eng land's run rate in recent years,

They are not truc of English teams in this country.

Worrell saus the sustem of county captains reporting. Dil umpires match by match, 1- stead of making one Teportį at the end of the season, is bad,

hed as

think in only two or three cf ffe also suggests that captians the last 14 seria have our oppo--and England have

nents been faster,

that the present method, used down the years, is fairer for the umpires.

ing that with England in the field it is always a battleground.

many as six in one Test side- I would be very sad indeed if

Is there any foundation for receive favourable treatment. any England captain made such the charge that England value The question of one report at an ungenerous comment about

Trestige too highly and

sare the end of the season has often been considered but it is felt ato Australia to do all he could his opponents. to stir up the tempo of the game low tactics."

Worrell criticised England for afraid of losing?

Have you any

The question of losing pres- both in State and Test matches.

clits particular tige Is such rubbish that I am

discuss 1 would certainly agree with comments

It not prepared to criticism? Worrell-as would everyone-

Aftor ali, we have lost often Must be done that 3 days of exciting cricket) I saw that England's "slow enough not to worry about it. It was very is far better than Ave dull days. Į tactles” were blamed for the Who will forget the tremen- The end-of-the-season report West Indies scoring rate in last dous wave of appreciation at would surely mean a reliance year's series between the two the performances of the 1950 on memory and there would be countries. I think it will be West Indies side, who won three no- means of checking what

overall Tests in England? I do not happened

one particular recall anyone. bewailing loss of match. prestige, then.

As for captains getting the of the doubt that is Would I not be right in sug-benefit gesting that twice in the series just an old joke that has been last winter, for some reason enjoyed for years, but no one

treats it seriously.

I wonder, however, if Benaud

Challenge

BANNISTER: Worrell says much needed. there is nothing to prevent the England and BCTies between Australia from being as excll- has been given quite enough It therefore scema certain that found that England's ing as the rubber just ended in credit for his part in this. I Renaud will lay down a chal-run-rate throughout the series Australia, provided there is the make this point because on two tenge. Do you think England's was a little faster. (Rey Webber right approach,

occasions last summer when he captain will take it up?

reports that England scored 42 was in England, Richie told me} Yes, I do. I sincerely hope runs per 100 balls; the West that he intended on his return' and think every effort should be Indies (39).

Do you think Richie Benaud and the England captain, yet to

SATURDAY SPORTS SPOT

Of Tokyo, topsy turvy tantrums and ten-pins

'Tokyo. .. or burst'. That was the heading of a story featured in this column nearly two years ago and it is timely to revive the subject once again.

The original article was intended as an early reminder that and the 1964 Olympic Games would be held in Japan that Tokyo is as close to Hongkong as the Games will probably come in the lifetime of most of the good folks who are reading these words.

see

The comparative proximity of | greatest bearing on any plans we players pourited on every mis- the 1984 meeting will give local | may have for visits to Hongkong placed pass....exploited the people a chance to the by other overseas sides.

the Swiss poor covering of greatest of all sporting occasions which may never come their way again

pense

if they have to And it in one lump suth.

spectators.

By I. M. MacTAVISH

in

it would seem from what you have said that you are hopeful! that we are going to see better things this summer?

I have been saying for years that cricketers are public enter- tainers, and as such they must entertain. With good will on all; sides I am quite certain that this can be done and il must be done!

Russian entries

others were they did not as they had withdrawn from

suggested include bowling alleys in their plans.

much more graphic and point- carlier ed in their cominents.

I am sure. we are going to

About this hear a lot more

it is discarded game before Into history as one of our less memorable milestones, Some people already see it as 'the straw": we

only wal can and see who turns out to be the "camel."

Quite apart from the be lief that the Fame would quickly catch

local population

Aintree' race

in

Moscow, Feb. 24. the

Soviet racing authorities have on among

the there is a withdrawn

two Russian steady now of American Ber-horses entered for the Teptam vicemen who would

almost Trophy. race at the Aintree

National meeting certainly give such a venture Grand

Was learned here March. Il healthy support.

today, The

is ganre

going from An official at the Soviet rac- Present thoughts must, how-strength to strength In ever, remain progressive and United Kingdom and it is paying headquarters said the train- those ing performances of the two consider the future. After whating rich dividends for

horses Promple and Brusnika- has been "disappointing."

u

been lost

$24m project

the

has happened how can the people who had, and elin have, Hongkong Football Association the foresight to invest in it. face the tremendous hazard of bringing Real Madrid to a com- munity riddled with suspicion As an official Inquiry is to be defence....and blotted the

-and smarting under the memory Assoctated British Cinemas. held into the circumstances sur- cumbersome slow-moving for.

of a series which promised so one of the pioneers of the rounding the third match one wards right out of the first and could very well adopt a sufety-second games,

much yet attracted an aggregate bowling alley age in Britain, in attendance of no more than embarking on another ambitious However, the cost of a re first policy of wait and see but, turn air-passage and the exco Kreat is the indignation How differant things were in about 20,000 fans to the second new project to provide cine-

and third

Blackpool and two weeks in Tokyo, abroad regarding the display of the third encounter, Any student bring Real Madrid into a place Coventry at a cost of HK$24,

games. Dare they bowlers' in plus tickets for the Games, is the Combined Chinese - I've of football, who has by neces-

[000,000 !!! blt beyond the pocket of

The Blackpool centre is to be maybe even built on never seen anything less com- sity to follow EVERY move and where public confidence has many of the keenest sportsmen bined-only an ostrich would EVERY ich as opposed to tak-

the site of the old Could they risk a Hippodrome Theatre. On and sportswomen Fa

destroyed? the dodge the issue at this time.

fuc a general view of the pro-repetition Colony, particularly

of public hostility upper levels it will have a ing ecedings, soon spotted the fact such as we have just seen?

and cine-theatre scating 1,800 that Swiss mistakes were not

below it will have a bowling that

A guarantee? being turned to advantage:

auditorium with 10 lanes. the Chinese marking of the

The cinema at Coventry will column of this nature either visitors was wide and loose with There is also another aspect

smaller, having a which will be slightly has the courage of his convic-m

i possession givch of visiting teams the man tions or he should not be plenty of time to get the ball

have to be carefully conside-seating capacity of 1,372, but writing at all. He should be under control

contracts are the bowling centre below the without beinged when future'

cinema will have 24 lanes. free to comment, praise, and fucked.... and probably most being made. This concerns a

ABC are also pushing ahead K necessary lists

criticise every

with still another gigantic aspect of sport without ties or portant of all, the Hongkong guarantee that the HKFA is payers in their turn were getting what it is paying for

scheme which, apart from pro- limitation to his efforts:

In other words, when aviding bowling alleys in Lay- above all he should be ready iterally runing the ball, into

offers to visit the Colcaytonstone, icam

Manchester, Liver it should and willing to state his point be fart of their opponis.

be required

pool, Leicester and Glasgow guarantee it will bring the win hayo the added distinction players who have placed it in of establishing Britain's Arst double-deelrer alloy. This will The name of a team is In be at Leytonstone where there Itself worthless. It is the will be two floors each pro- players who arc Important.viding 11 alleys.

With this in mind I ngais offer free to our enterprising airlines, and our progressive business-minded travel agents, the suggestion which I made twe years ago....sturt now,

right now....open subscription

for all-in Tokyo excursions: give the real sportsfolk of the community an opportunity to buy the greatest moments of their life on a long term plan.

Subscription scheme

A nominat monthly substrip-

tion would provide the magie

carpet which could, never be

Best and worst

Anyone

who

writes

of view even if # is not

based on popular favour find-

words, For what it is worth

my

No heart

ing platitudes or simply an Quite apart from all the pre-eminence. adverse opinion weakly dis-- match rumours, and quite apart guised in a fondant of sugary from the deep significance that the popular and cheapest part et the stadlunt-where it was. entry by payment of the gate- was empty: quilo apart 100, from the fact that tickets were. being sold at less than their later even being

there

bought any other way. Like perronal opinion is that the were the poorest the litle drops of water and Young Boya

the little grains of sand it could major visiting bide to come all add up to a sojourn in a here in the last ten years: sporting wonderland. Only consider too that the dazzing face value outside the grounit,

and wer

those who have been privileged display by the Hongkong Selec- to attend the Olymples coa tlon was just about the best given away free, understand the nerve-tingling performance by any Colony side unbugh visible evidence for all thrill which they stimulate in

while 40 see that the Chinese boys in the same period even the toughest, least emo- that given by the Combined bed little

Chinese was the most disgusting game. Flap in the face ever handed out

tional individuals.

Such

a subscription scheme to the football public

and seems a natum project for 3D that comment applies to both organisation Uke CPA, the the ride that took the field and Colony's own airlino

those who were responsible for Boac with its vast resources. its management.

on you enterprising

Comc

or

type let's have a newy

target for 1004... let it be

Tokyo or burart,

To

If there is no guarantee thatj With all the building which the recognised first eleven-ls going on in Hongkong it is or a reasonable proportion of indeed surprising that no

one

it — will make the vialf then | fras thought of bowling 'alley. it should be refused. We are basementă.

long past the stage when we want to see second, third and fourth choices, or even aging coaches, in action.

And finally a 'tale-wagger"

This is subject on which

two....having recently OF or no heart for the the Swiss officials were both

evasive and inconsistent and I established a University of only say that if Young Boys Football in Moscow, Russia The visitors were a pour of Berne won the Swiss has now instituted a special side but the opposition put up Natinol

son.

can

Championship with exclusive faculty for the by the local eloven was weak the threadbare collection of enough to make the Swiss

talent they brought here, then study of goalkeeping and team look good by compari, their country's footbait ja in a training of goalkeepers.... Corry slate....and Stanley according to gossip an "In- players havo airendy Mathews is to be Zurich's next ternational incident-de- By their showings in the first batning tat there is top the Queen of the May,

games the Colony foot-1 that in front of a top price crotvá the Combines Chino tallers PROVED conclusively officials brought into the side a

two

Streets ahead takter their chara

the **of

The 'long in the tooth that they were streets ahead of subfiitute sivet who, to the best One of the big surprises in the visiora in a seribus con- of my knowledge, has never Young Boys of Berne test. The big immobile Swing playst in the golden before have come and gone. If players had no answer to the and a162. How in at the deep the present crop never re-acious

who

manding an apology may ka blowing up in the Colony over the use of the term taking money under talse the Colony is that no protencos" which was alleg enterprising organisation edly used publicly in refer- has cashed in on the once to the Young Boys of Berne....referees selected tremendous upsurge of for the 1962 World Cup interest in the American

series will be required to at game of 'ten-pina"..:

tend a special class, of In- Some time ago a group of struction to standardise In- businessmen surveyed a site interpretation of the lows of The fera pali skout the efforts, the North Point area and on the game and retalle -in- of the majority of the playsts other one near Causeway Day struction on the use of car. the better. Many experienced but asthough they were respet

tackling

the of

eric a young goalkeeper Chinese: nelther could they was physically," mentally

dick

turn there will be little mates their intelligent pofl tactically unprepared for such grief among Hongkong | Tional play. football folks.

However, they have left be hind a legacy which will not.bo easily settled: In fact it could

The reprehensible, conduct of Swimm players WAL adeuusia radinjaslon, of shris duappointment.at" (hele ui- expected inferiority.› They wine made ba, i

yet rock Colony soccer to its very

foundations...ant yond: It could harg

an occasion, This was not $10 excellen or team management

....not by a long shot.

to pay for observers described it sensible for the

"buildings, which I táls errential football terins

the byly mistake. The Honaica Inault to die intelligence of the oventumily ruso on the lossilpne, : In-various languages.

He added that the three Rus- slan entries for the Grand National, Epigraff, Grifel and Relieff, were still due to run.- Reuter.

DON'T LET SCURF

AND

DANDRUFF PLAY HAVOC

WITH YOUR

HAIR

THIS

is