M.C.C. "Commission" To Probe Game

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 15117, 28 October 1949, Page 5

M.C.C. "Commission" To Probe Game

Much Spade-work Already

Done

From Lord's, the headquarters of cricket, 33 invitations have been sent to individuals and organisations to form a committee to be known as '"The M.C.C. Cricket Inquiry Committee" for the biggest probe into the welfare of the game ever attempted. Famous cricketers like G. O. Allen and R. W. V. Robins, former England captains, will sit alongside representatives \from such unexpected bodies as the Association of Municipal Corporations and the Rural Districts Councils' Association.-

They want to find out how best the game can be developed, especially among the youth of the country from 11 up to call-up age. M.C.C. Paying' For Inquiries

Already much spade-work has been done in this first nation-wide effort to organise the development of cricket. It has been carried out by a "Steering Committee" under the chairmanship of Mr H. S. Altham former president of Hampshire County Cricket Club. Their report has been accepted by the M.C.C. who are paying the cost of the initial inquiries. They are recommending inquiries into the facilities for playing "the critical issue of pitches," equipment ('"now very expensive") and match play.

Mr Altham, at a Press conference, stressed that no quick results can be expected from the committee, which hopes to sit for the first time

in October

"It's going to be a long process," he said, "and the whole success of this crusade hinges in the end on the educational authorities. Whatever the M.C.C. or this committee may succeed in doing in the wav of setting up machinery, the battle of the field has to be won by the teachers. "We hope a high proportion of the 3000 annual intake of teachers will take an interest in the game, particularly in methods of mass coaching." They had already had much encouragement from Sir John Maud, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, said Mr Altham. Cricketers, will feel that at last a positive move has been made to ensure the future of the game. The committee's job is not to find winning Test teams for the future, and in no sense will they concentrate on the specially gifted.