Top Men May Miss Festival Cricket

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30560, 1 October 1964, Page 19

Top Men May Miss Festival Cricket

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 30. The New Zealand Cricket Board of Control is seriously concerned about the availability of overseas players for this month’s festival match in Wellington.

Mr J. L. Kerr, chairman of the board, said today it was anything but certain that two of the overseas stars who had said they would play were now coming.

One of the doubtful starters is the great West Indian allrounder, G. A. Sobers. His whereabouts are a mystery to the board, which is at present making every effort to contact him.

When Sobers was invited, it was understood he would be taking up a coaching appointment in Australia this summer. But he has now announced he will not go to Australia and it seems that if New Zealand cricket wants him here it will have to pay his air fare from the West Indies.

The other man who probably will not be coming for the match at the Basin Reserve is the Pakistani, K. Ibadulla. He is to coach in Otago this season but because he intends to stop in Pakistan on his way here from England, he will likely miss the match.

Commenting on the headaches being experienced by the board in organising the match, Mr Kerr said: “You’ve got no control over individual players. I have foreseen this happening from the start.” He confirmed, however, that G. A. R. Lock (England), and B. A. Shepherd and I. Chapple (Australia) are firm starters for the Labour weekend match.