ENGLAND’S CRICKET TEAMS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 242, 9 July 1938, Page 18

ENGLAND’S CRICKET TEAMS

Methods Of Selection

(By

BURWOOD.)

••1 would be very grateful indeed if you would be good enough, through the columns of 'The Dominion.' to give me some information on n cricket problem which is puzzling me considerably, namely,. Hie method of selection ot the I'iiiglish .Lest teams.” writes "Mystified.” We have jus| read of the team selected tor the Hurd Test match and at the same time the leading averages in county cricket. Ol the eight players who arc at the top in Hie bowling averages, -only Verity, who ranks sixth, is worthy of inclusion m the team- Do you know of any reason why Hie other seven should not be considered? 1 would also like to know, if possible, whether there is any reason whv C S. Dempster, late of Wellington (who is always well up in the batting averages), should not be considered. Is he for anv reason not eligible?" The men who have been appointed by the Cricket Board of Control for Test matches at Home to select England’s teams this year are Sir Pelham Warner (chairman), and Messrs. P. A. Perrin, A. B. Sellers, and M. J. Turnbull, and it must'be adm.itted that it would be difficult to find four men with more intimate knowledge of English form. Sir Pelham Warner led England Lor a number of years in fights for the Ashes against Australia, and he has led English teams to almost every Englishspeaking country. Mr. P. A. Perrin represented Essex for many years;,Mr. A. B. Sellers is captain of Yorkshire, the champion county; and Mr. M. J. Turnbull is captain and secretary of. the Glamorgan County Cricket Club. It is to be presumed that this quartet follow the method of any other selectors and choose the men whom they think will do best in the Test matches. True, in the past, some English selectors became badlv “rattled” after successive defeats in the Tests and chopped and changed the teams about to such an extent that in one series of Tests in Eng-

land no fewer than 30 English players represented England. It can be taken for granted that the present English selection committee will not act in this fashion. After all, averages are not always a reliable guide in selecting cricket teams. Whether Hedlev Verity happened to be sixth or sixteenth iu the 'bowling averages, lie is such a capable slow left-hand spin bowler that his inclusion in England's team was a certainty. .

“Mystified” can rest assured that the four English selectors, who are on the spot, will carefully weigh the qualifications of every player with claims for selection in the Tests,, and they will put in the elevons those who. in their opinion, will be most likely to beat the Australians.

With regard to Dempster’s eligibility to be selected to play for England, the rules drawn up by the Imperial CricketConference, which came into force in 1931, include the following:— “2. A cricketer can he qualified to play in a Test match either by birth or residence.

“3 (a) A cricketer, unless debarred by the Imperial Cricket Conference, is always eligible to play for the country of his birth.

“(b) A cricketer, unless debarred by the Imperial Cricket Conference, shall. bo entitled to play for any country, in which lie is residing and has been residing during the four immediately preceding years, provided that he has not played for the eountrj’ of his birth during that period.

“(c) Notwithstanding anything hereinbefore contained, any player who has once played in a Test match for, any country shall not afterward be eligible to play in a Test match against that country without the consent of its board of control. “4. The respective Imards of control of the countries affiliated to the Imperial Cricket Conference shall lie responsible for submission in reasonable . time for the approval of the Imperial Cricket Conference of the names of any cricketers whose qualifications are in doubt, and likely to be selected to play in any approaching series of Test matches, furnishing their qualifications, and stating if any player has during the four immediately preceding years played for the country of his birth. In the case of such cricketers qualified by residence, they shall further state the periods ,of residence upon which such residential qualifications are founded.”