HE NEARLY RESIGNED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 119, 5 June 1937, Page 17

HE NEARLY RESIGNED

BRADMAN AS SELECTOR TR0UBLE OVER L. NASH cricket crisis averted don a firm tactician There was a "genuine fear among those behind the scenes that the fight for the cricket ashes, recently eoncluded in Australia's favour, would see a crisis in the Fifth Test in Melbourne, writes the Melbourne correspondent of the Rand Daily Mail South Africa. G. O. Allen, the English captain, had protested against the inclusion, in the vital game of Daurie Nasn, the Victorian fast bowler, and although this was not broadcast for fear

of repercusslons, his protest at one stage brought very close the resignation of Bradman, Australia's captam, as one of the selectors. Bradman is crediably stated to have decliared that if the Board of Control wanted England's captain to select australia's team, then it had beUer ■get someone, other than himself, to do the job! Thirteen men were named by the Australian selectors for the first time during the series. ' Laurie Nash, police constable, ieading footballer and club cricketer, was amcng them. Na.«h put*« his whole athletic body into his bowling'and has been known to make the ball bump quite a deal. The M.C.C. batsmen had just played against him in a match against Victoria and did not refish his kickers. They had to duck quite a lot. Allen, in a talk wita a member of th« Board of Con'rol, is credited whh having pointed out that his team, following the unhappy tcur of Jardine and his team, was out to resiore happier relationships; but, using an An.er.canism, he was not going to be "played for a sucker." In other wc-rcs, hp meant that if Australia was gomg to turn on bumping bowlers he would do the same. The Board of Control — never a tactful body — was obviously perturbed. Telegrams were sent out to the selectors power to name only 12. In actual fact the reason — though no one would admit it— was that the board, or at least some of its members, was making a "set" against Nash. The selectors, however, did not do as direeted, and did not reduce the 13 until the day the match began. Then they did not drop Nash; they played him and with sucdess. Firm Tactician. Bradman had shown that he could be a firm tactician as well as a brilliant cricketer. Before the match he lunehed with Allen and Robins, che English vice-captain ,and although no statements were issued it was obvious what the discussion was about, It came out later that there were assuiai.ces that there would b» no bowling to infringe the rules of gocd cricket, in other words, that thexe j w uld be no intimidatory bowilng at the nan.

Tlius was averted — by the grod se.ise of the two captains — what thrtab ned to breax fcr all time the wai ni feeling between piie two cricketing countries and seriously jecpardise the co-itinuance of Test tours. As it was, everything ended very happily indeed. Nasn did r.f>t proGUce any fireworks. Wl'tther Allen acted wise^y in thc first insiance is another maltei Certamly the Australian Board o£ Control did r.-tl.