Should Captains Have Authority?

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30287, 13 November 1963, Page 15

Should Captains Have Authority?

An apparent mistake in the radio announcement on Saturday that grade cricket had been postponed for the morning play only had led to some confusion among cricketers, but there seemed to be no practical alternative to deciding on postponements and cancellations otiier than over the radio, said Mr G. P. Dryden, chairman of the postponements committee of the Canterbury Cricket Association, when asked to comment on the fact that many players had not arrived at their matches because they heard the incorrect announcement. There have been previous occasions when similar confusion has been caused by incorrect announcements and it appears that the Canterbury Cricket Association could consider other means of deciding if games should start at the normal time. It could be that the captains, or if they disagree, the umpires should decide when play should start. As there are no umpires for grades below second grade it is the responsibility now of the captains to decide if play can start where there has been no previous direction from the postponements committee. An argument aganist this proposal is that it could

mean that some matches could be played and others stopped because of the captain’s decisions; which could mean some teams gaining an advantage. However, that should be regarded as no more than part of the fortunes of cricket, and surely if cricket can be played it should be played. A further argument against giving the captain’s authority to decide if play can start, and probably the most conclusive, is that the captains might not have the same regard for the pitches as the committee members. On a second day when there is a chance of a decision some captains might want to play although the pitch is really unfit for play and could be torn about by the bowlers. If this happened early in the season some pitches might never recover. As many of the matches are played on City Council grounds the committee has to fall in with the wishes of the parks and reserves departments officers who have to consider the season as a whole and not just one wet Saturday which could ruin many weeks of work by the groundsmen.