Botham keen to continue
NZPA London \ lan? Botham, who has yet to captain an England test cricket side to victory, still wants to lead his country in the coming six-match series against the Australians. - When the England cricketers arrived home yesterday from their ill-fated Caribbean tour Botham said: “I know a. few knives are out but I went to the West Indies did'my best. If it is <iot good enough I will stand; down.” ’ ■ .‘‘Whether I lead the side against the Australiansis-a
i decision for the selectors, but I am quite happy to carry on ; if they want me,” Botham ;■' said: ’ ■■ * England’s 0-2 defeat by the i. West .Indies means that it has. lost four of the 10 tests, under Botham’s captaincy, but the Somerset all-rounder believes that there is the , nucleus of a good England side for the next 10 years. . .“It’s not really the end of the' world * because we lost the series,”. Botham said. “At j the start of the tour we.were faced with a lack of facilities and terrible weather. When f •‘■these(improved we improved
and I think) our lads did extremely well in very trying circumstances.”' The team’s manager,. Mr Alan Smith, . who ' won high praise for his handling of:the “Robin Jackman affair,” which led to the cancellation of the second test in Guyana, said he thought Botham “led the side remarkably well during the troubles.” , “Many of our players have returned sadder and wiser and will be (better for this experience. We were outplayed; maybe outclassed, but we were far from, dis-graced,”-Mr, Smith said.
“We face the Australians this summer well aware that they are tremendous fighters, but it is doubtful whether ttjeir bowling line-up will be quite .so damaging as the one we faced in the Caribbean.” The West Indies fast bowler, : Michael’ Holding,, who flew to London with the England; party -to play Lancashire League cricket for Rishton, said that lack of application ) was England’s problem. “Too many of the team were not used to West Indies conditions,” he said. I
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Press, 20 April 1981, Page 22
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339Botham keen to continue Press, 20 April 1981, Page 22
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