TOURING CRICKET TEAM.

Evening Star, Issue 20985, 26 December 1931, Page 11

TOURING CRICKET TEAM.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The outcome of the belated action concerning the cancelling of the previous unanimous appointment of a manager of the touring Otago cricket team is to be deeply regretted. Cricket has a sufficiently hard row to hoe in our province without another obstacle being placed in the way of the plough. This latest incident is one which must necessarily result in tho formation of two opposing camps, and those responsible for bringing this about will, instead of effecting a possible saving of a few pounds in money, have created a bad feeling which already threatens to react, financially and otherwise, to tho detriment of tho game. It would have been well had the appointment been allowed to stand rather than that tho impression should have been created that the personal equation was not so entirely absent from the motives of the movers, within and outside the committee, as they would have it believed. Whether, in tho financial circumstances, the appointment of any manager at all was a wise one may be open

to question, but, the matter having been settled and resettled, it should not have been again reopened at the eleventh hour. Frankly, lam not satisfied that the financial aspect was the only motive .for the belated reopening of the matter, and for that reason I expressed my views plainly enough at the extraordinary (in every sense) meeting of Monday last. I give the majority of the committee credit for voting conscientiously and without bias, but many of them are newcomers to tne governing body and consequently are perhaps ignorant of the undercurrents which have been flowing quietly, but none the less strongly, beneath the surface for years past. In reply to your correspondent “ Bravo,” I can assure him that he need have no fear that I will play anything but a “straight bat ” in matters affecting the welfare of cricket, particularly in matters concerning the ethics of either the playing or of the governing of this great game. Mr Rowland has put his case very fairly indeed, and is to be congratulated upon the restraint he obviously put upon his feelings when writing the letter which appeared in your columns on Wednesday evening. In all the circumstances the exercise of such restraint would not bo an easy matter. I have no hesitation in saying that Mr Rowland’s resignation from the Otago Cricket Association has removed one of the hardest workers wo have had on the committee and one who has a thorough knowledge of cricket. And when it is remembered that enthusiastic workers and administrators with a thorough knowledge of cricket are by rto means plentiful, the seriousness of Mr Rowland’s loss may be understood. What I am chiefly concerned about, however, is the harm likely to be done to cricket in Otago by this unfortunate contretemps, and I can only appeal to all real lovers of the game in our city not to allow this little storm to divert them from the coarse of kindly consideration towards the cause of cricket which they have hitherto steered. Otago cricket is in need of all the sympathy and help it can get, for, with our young players showing such promise, wo should bo able to look forward to an improvement in our provincial status which will before long enable us to become formidable contenders for the Plunket Shield. And so soon as Otago is strong enough to assert herself in the field and to inflict defeat upon the othei provinces, so soon will she compel the respect of those other provinces, of the public, and of the New Zealand Cricket Council.—l am, etc., G. A. Wycherley (Vice-president, 0.C.A.). December 25.