HOBBS STRONGLY OPPOSED TO BODY-LINE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 240, 11 May 1933, Page 5

HOBBS STRONGLY OPPOSED TO BODY-LINE

"CONTRARY TO SPIRIT OF CRICKET" Definite Opinion in Copyright Article RISK OF LIFELONG INJURY JARDINE BREAKS SILENCE IN DEFENCE OF TEAM "Australians Did Not Appreciate Englishmen's Reticence" WRITING A BOOK ON } SUBJECT ! Press Association.—Copyright. Received Today, 10.15 a.m. J London, May 10. Jardine, captain of the M.C.C. team which recently visited Australia and New Zealand, in a statement said: "When we won the Ashes, Punch said it was hoped the Ashes controversy would be scattered to the four winds. I am sure this would have been in the best interest of cricket generally and would have been welcomed, but our silence and forbearance have not elicited a reciprocal forbearance. "I feel reluctantly compelled, in the interests of accuracy and in bare justice to the team, to write a book about the tour." Article by Hobbs A Star copyright article by Hobbs states: "I think I had better say at onco that 1 do not favour body-line bowling, which seems to me to be contrary to the spirit of cricket. "Its adoption generally or even by one or two men would not be in tiie best interests of the game. "I may well be asked why I did . not say this in the cables from Ausj tralia. The answer is I did not wish to embarrass Jardine or the team dur- ! ing the tests. "They had quite enough anxiety and had I expressed an opinion for or against it would have given Australian critics a lever further to harrass the team, and stir up strife. "I consider body-line is not good for cricket as there are certain elements of danger in it.

"A batsman facing a fast bow- I ler is asked to play strokes more for the protection of his body than with the idea of defending the wicket or scoring. "Looking at the question from a broader viewpoint, what man with a son showing promise as a batsmen would care for his boy to go to parks to face the body-line with the risk of receiving a blow calculated to inflict a life-long injury. Therefore I say body-lino is not in the true spirit of the game. Furthermore, it will spoil its attractiveness,*'