CRICKET

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 256, 26 September 1933, Page 8

CRICKET

JARDINE AND THE AUSTRALIANS. VIEWS ON FUTURE TESTS. Writing in the London Daily Telegraph Thomas Moult says: —The statement has been made that D. R. Jardine would probably not be available as captain of the England team against Australia next year. It hardly needs to be pointed out that Jardine has not yet been invited to lead England against Australia in any future Test. A fact, however, lias been indirectly made public which Jardine’s personal friends and his intimate colleagues in cricket have known all the summer. Therefore, I am now free to reveal that when he returned from Australia in the spring he declared with the greatest emphasis that lie did not desire to take part as captain in future Anglo-Australian Test cricket. Jardine refused to make any comment on the subject when lie was approached. M.C.C. DILEMMA. It is obvious, however, that his voluntary withdrawal from leadership at the end of the forthcoming M.C.C. tour in India would help the M.C.C. out of a grave dilemma. I understand that the hope that Australia would accept the M.C.C.’s indirect reassurance about bodyline bowling, to be made through tho collective expression of opinion by the county captains at the end of the present season. has already come to nothing. The M.C.C. have, on the contrary, received an intimation from Australia that the cricket authorities there will only be satisfied by the M.C.C.’s own definite promise that body-line bowling will not bo used again in Test cricket. The M.C.C. are thus placed in an impossible position, which call only be escaped by Jardine’s voluntary retirement, supported by the probability that Larwood’s injuries will not allow him to bowl fast again.