Prejudice of Ages

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1075, 12 September 1930, Page 7

Prejudice of Ages

i i QUESTION OF SOCIAL | PRESTIGE PREVENTS A I PROFESSIONAL FROM CAPTAINING ENGLAND AT CRICKET I _____ I “WOULD BE OUT OF PLACE” ; Commenting on the dropping of ; l Chapman from the English cricket j | eleven in the fifth test, J. Worrall. j ! the old international, writes in “The j ! Australasian” as follows: ! Chapman has always been desig- ! nated as a luckry captain, and many j : things have transpired to strengthen j ! the claim, though it is rather a false j ! move depending purely upon luck. He ! | has led England nine times, six of : I which have been victories,’’ two have j been drawn and one lost. On both j occasions that he was deposed England suffered defeat. His record is jan excellent one; but in what degree | it has been attributable to leadership j jor luck is a question of argument. 1 ; And though the English selectors were credited with a wise move in 1923. I when Carr was shelved in favour of 1 Chapman, it will be admitted that it !is a risky business swapping horses j when crossing a stream, especially m | flood time. But that is purely a domes- j ' tin affair, though evidence of a jumpy 1 state of nerves in face of danger. The real weakness, however, of English cricket—one which has acted detrimentally for years—is the line of demarcation set between the status of an amateur and a professional. Usually the greatest line of cleavage is in education; but that a professional, despite his fitness for the position, should be chosen as captain of England by a deliberative body ; would be reckoned as a sign of decadence and worse than a crime. ; Many great amateurs have appeared ■ in English cricket history, men ht for I any team on their play alone; but since i the war they have been a dwindling , ‘ quantity. The inevitable result j owing to the prejudice or ages, that to occupy* the position of captain an aina- | reur must be chosen who otherwise j would not find -a place in the side, : i means a weakening in skill as well as : I in moral. Thus the social prestige is considered of more importance than the cricketing supremacy. And it is beyond question, such is the power of environment, that the ordinary professional would be out of place in such a capacity. Still, names could be mentioned that would have filled the position ably and honourably. __