“SNOBBISH”

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16340, 14 May 1927, Page 8

“SNOBBISH”

GI LUG AN REGRETS—CRICKET IN

INDIA.

LONDON, May 5. A. E. R. Gilligan, who captained the last English cricket team in Australia, and also that which toured India recently, has written the following letter to the newspapers “I shall be obliged if you will give me the opportunity of expressing my regret that in a.n interview in the press on my return from India, I attributed snobbishness to certain clubs in India.

“It lias been pointed out that a club lias rules by which its committee must abide and I realise the expression was inappropriate, and might appear to qualify the gratitude of my team for the splendid welcome, hospitality, and courtesy shown ns generally. “I was speaking under a sense of great resentment, unanimously shared by the team, at the quite unjustifiable allegation aimed at a very prominent supporter of the game, who had done his Very best to help India to see a first-class English side.” The last paragraph apparently refers to Lord Harris, who, as an ex-Govemor of Bombay, is greatly interested in Indian cricket, and, it is understood, had much to do with the arrangement of the visit.

Simultaneously with Gilligan’s letter, the Marvlebone Club has received from Hie Maharajah of Patiala an expression of the latter’s deep appreciation of the services rendered the cause of cricket by Gilligan’s team, whom ho calls “Ambassadors of International Goodvdll.”

The Maharajah of Patiala says he feels honored to have been associated with them in several matches. He desires to place oil record, not merely as a sportsman, but as a ruling prince, Ids appreciation of the excellent choice of of (he skipper arid the team alike. Ho concludes-. “The tour proved a tare link ih the chain o| Imperial unity.”