Man at the top needed?

Press, 9 April 1979, Page 28

Man at the top needed?

New Zealand cricket may need an “el Supremo,” a person with over-all power and the test team's tactics and attitudes. This was the message given to the Cricket Council’s board of control by its players’ committee during the week-end. The most recent players’ committee meeting was attended by Mark Burgess, Geoff Howarth, Warren Lees, and Richard Hadlee, and the board representatives were Messrs G. T. Dowling and R. A. Vance. On the subject of a “supremo,” Mr Dowling’s report said that at present the chairman of selectors — acting as manager for home tests — was the nearest equivalent, but the chairman, whoever he was, was not necessarily the best person. “The idea is for one per-

.'lson. who is obviously exi tremely close to the cricketr ing scene, and of sufficient s standing nationally, to be : identified in such a way that t he has the over-all power to I dictate test team tactics and j attitudes, direct training and pre-tour and pre-test ’ activities, and instruct indi- ; vidual players on technique , changes and improvement," i said Mr Dowling. , He also said, using players - at random as examples, that . there was no clear line on who should instruct or . advise players on faults in t technique, fitness, or devel- > opment. “Possibly this type of > thing may happen in’individt ual areas, but examining the , scene from a New Zealand t point of view, does anyone really know?” Mr Dowling ■ said.