ENGLISH CRICKET ELEVEN

Evening Star, Issue 18393, 29 September 1923, Page 9

ENGLISH CRICKET ELEVEN

WHO WILL CAPTAIN THE TEAM? The chief topic now la what ia going to happen next season (writes * Qapgly ” in the London ‘ Observer This is the prevailing paradox of tho pavilions. Wherever a few cricketers are gathered together, sooner or Later they fall to talking of next summer's tost the South Africans. Who will capu.ui the English team, and, who will play under bint'/ These are the matters critically discussed, but not always unanimously answered. In theory, the qualities looked for in a cricketer chosen to lead an English side axe i—(a) Social position. (b) Popularity with other players. (c.) Experience of international cricket, (d) An inspiring personality. In practice, it is not always possible to find a player &o admirably equipped as this. A. Q. Mac Lorens, F. S. Jacksons, and P. F. Warners never have abounded, and in these strenuous days, when amateurs who can afford to play first-class cricket regularly are so few, the choice is more Limited than it ever was. There are professionals—Wilfred'Rhodes, for instance—who might make excellent England captains; hut as a professional will certainly not bo given tho captaincy next vea-r, whatever democratic views may obtain in years to come, it would be valueless to discuss Riiodcs or Hobbs as our next cricket captain. As things arc, there would 1 appear to he live possible candidates: F. X. Mann (Middlesex), A. W. Carr (Notts), A. E. R. Gilligan (Sussex), tho Hon. 11. L, Tennyson Giants), and !'■ G. 11. Fender (Surrey). Of these, Mann and Tennyson have already tried their hands at the. job, and each can lay claim to three., at least, of tho four qualifications called for. Mann took tho M. 0.0. side to South Africa last winter, and ho skippered the Gentlemen at Lord’s recently. Ho has not escaped criticism for his management of bowling, aflTI he has not tho scheming brain that Percy Fonder has; but an England captain is generally shot at, and, if Mann docs not quite take his place among the eleven best cricketers in the country, he is pretty clearly the man indicated at'Lord’s for the captaincy.