Covers stay on for talks

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34138, 27 April 1976, Page 38

Covers stay on for talks

(By

R. T. BRITTENDEN)

The New Zealand Cricket Council’s Board of Control met in Christchurch at the week-end. From the meeting came announcements about the composition of the New Zealand team to tour Pakistan and India, the programme for the next Shell series, the winners of the Redpath and Winsor Cups.

These were interesting | items, but they offered scant reward, in terms of time, for ( the reporters there to record decisions and discussions. The meeting began at 8 p.m. on Saturday, but the news media was advised it need not attend, because the board would be in committee. It was told that the meeting would resume at 11 a.m. on Sunday. The board was either in camera or committee until it adjourned, at 12.30 p.m. The meeting resumed at 1 p.m. but the reporters were then told that it would be in committee nearly ail the afternoon. The meeting ended at 5 p.m. Australian team At the lunch break, the New Zealand team was announced, and with it the information that an Australian team was to be invited to play in New Zealand next season, and the programme for the next Shell series. At the end of the meeting, the winners of the Redpath and Winsor Cups were announced. There is very often good reason for the board to close its doors on reporters of the various media. Some of the decisions it has to make are delicate and tricky ones. At this very meeting, for instance, it is probable that the financial terms of the forthcoming tour, and the programme for it, were debated. It might have been detrimental to the board’s efforts to have discussion or decisions reported back to the host countries. It might well be, too, that Glenn Turner’s post as New Zealand captain was discussed. His performance as Otago’s captain in the final of the Shell Trophy competition — related to his position as tour captain — was a very likely subject for debate. Familiar pattern Freedom from reporting no doubt allows board members to speak openly on subjects such as these. But this particular meeting followed a familiar pattern. It has become a habit for the board to spend far more time in committee than out of it. About eight years ago, it set some sort of record by being in committee for 11 hours on end. It is not an easy problem. Anyone with respect for the

[work the board members do — and membership is a de|manding task — does not question its right to keep to itself some of its business until it is completed satisfactorily. But the Board of Control is no doubt interested in using the news media, where it can, to publicise the game. It does not go out of its way to encourage the reporting of its meetings, and the affairs it has to handle. A broadcast of members’ views on its business would be healthy, except, perhaps, where personalities are concerned. Very little of that is available to representatives of the newspapers, radio and television. The board members spend hours, months, and years working for cricket, but a more telling result could be achieved if so much time was not spent in private conclave. The board wants publicity; It does not do much, at its meetings, to encourage it, Sub-c ommittees •‘We have tried to improve our administration through the formation of a number of sub-committees to which work is delegated,” said the chairman of the board (Mr W. A. Hadlee) yesterday. “The sub-committees meet before the board meeting, and present reports through their conveners, withrecommendations. The discussion therefore tends to be restricted because subjects have been analysed fully. The reports are generally in open meeting. The news media is more than welcome to attend. “At the week-end meeting, it was necessary to condense a substantial number of items concerning future tours and financial matters,” said Mr Hadlee. “We had an unusually high number of these to be considered at this meeting.’* Tennis.—Results of the women’s A grade tennis field day at Wilding Park recently were: Mesdames F. Tyne and A. Brown (Shirley), 35 points, 1; Mesdames M. Spencer and D. Hampton (Shirley), 33, 2; Mesdames S. Finch and B. Liggett (North Beach), N. de Zwart and C. van Leeuwen (Halswell), N. Keese and J Hamilton (Halswell), all 32, (equal) 3. Tennis.—Arthur Ashe reached the semi-finals of the Avis Challenge Cup tournament in Hawaii by beating Australia’, John Newcombe, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. Newcombe had-trouble with his serving.