Date-stamped : 03 Nov93 - 06:12 Atherton's England built on youth policy Gloves off for Stewart as Russell returns for Caribbean scrap but there is no last tour of duty for old guard By Martin Johnson The campaign for real wicketkeepers has had a shot in the arm, not least over the announcement that Jack Russell is going to the West Indies to play in the Test matches rather than make sand- castles on the beach, but the campaign to restore David Gower to the England cricket team is just about shot. After Gower's omission from England's 17-man squad to tour the Caribbean this winter, last year's pro-Gower dissidents might now be as well to organise a winding-up meeting rather than a march on Lord's, and while Michael Atherton declined to close the door on Gower's Test career, the England captain scarcely left it ajar when he talked about making ''a clean break with the past''. There is no place, either, for two of Gower's contemporaries, Mike Gatting and Allan Lamb, and Atherton said: ''We have had older players in the side, and we have not been winning. We have picked a side for the West Indies that will not be haunted by past defeats, and hopefully this young side average age 26 will show the same kind of spirit that was apparent at the end of this summer.'' Russell's inclusion as the first-choice wicketkeeper, having been ignored for the last 12 Test matches in place of either Alec Stewart or Richard Blakey, represents a significant change in strategy, although if England's top-order batting starts coming apart in the Caribbean, it would scarcely come as a shock if the tour ends with Stewart behind the stumps, and Russell behind his canvas and easel gazing out on Bridgetown harbour. Stewart, whose relief at getting rid of the gloves will be almost as tangible as Russell's at getting them back, is inked in as Atherton's batting partner in a squad in which only the captain is named as a specialist opener. Robin Smith, who is keen to move up on a permanent basis, will open when either Atherton or Stewart takes a match off. Taking a match off in the West Indies, of course, often has less to do with snatching a few days in the hammock as being confined to a hospital bed, hence yesterday's decision to take 17 players rather than the traditional 16. Atherton said: ''History suggests that we are likely to get an injury or two, and we think it best to have replacements there from the start rather than having them fly in.'' Should England collect enough crushed fingers to resort to an overseas telephone call rather than reach for the hotel's internal, they will look to the A squad in South Africa rather than the snug bar of the Dog and Duck in Brentwood, or the terraces at West Ham. In other words, Graham Gooch, who has opted to spend the winter at home, will not be called upon whatever the emergency. Keith Fletcher, the team manager, said: ''I can't see someone of 41 being able to pick up a bat and start playing at short notice, no matter how good he is.'' Gooch will be in the Caribbean for a short period, on media duty, as, no doubt, will Gower, as he was when England discarded him for this tour in 1990. England's best batsmen are often to be found in the commentary box rather than the dressing- room. The selectors have, as expected, stuck by the batsmen who featured last summer, including Glamorgan's Matthew Maynard, who was under pressure for a tour place from Alan Wells of Sussex. Wells has instead been picked to go with the A team, as vice- captain under Hugh Morris, of Glamorgan. The selectors were yesterday talking about an ''exciting'' look- ing side, although with Graeme Hick being chosen, there will also be a fair amount of excitement in the West Indies, where the three lions on Hick's batting helmet will look more like a bulls- eye. The West Indies might not have quite the firepower in fast bowling that they used to, but neither will England's batsmen be working too hard on front-foot movement during their winter prac- tice sessions. If Hick has been given another chance to prove himself against fast bowling, then the country's one genuine all-rounder has also been given a further opportunity to dispel the feeling that, despite the occasional chants of ''there's only one Chris Lewis'' from Nottinghamshire's Sunday crowds, there are in fact two of him. The one who ran in with such heart in India last winter, and the one who looks as though he requires Venus to be in juxtaposi- tion with somewhere else to start performing. Lewis probably owes his selection to the change of policy over the wicketkeeping, and the fact that the batting would look thin - despite the fact that Russell's Test average is higher than that of Lewis, or Maynard, Mark Ramprakash and Nasser Hussain come to that - with Russell coming in at No 7. The one minor surprise in the bowling, or perhaps non-surprise given that there is usually an illogical selection somewhere along the line, is in Andrew Caddick, who was dropped with a record of five wickets at 97.6 apiece in mid-summer, being pre- ferred to Martin Bicknell. This might have been put down to doubts about Bicknell's fitness after a knee operation, were it not for the fact that England's aeroplane on 15 January might already be having a red cross painted on the fuselage. Robin Smith and Devon Malcolm are scheduled to have shoulder and knee operations respectively, Angus Fraser has not yet proved his full recovery from a long-standing hip complaint, Ian Salisbury's indifferent form stems partly from tendinitis of the shoulder, and Alan Igglesden drops out with some ailment or other almost every time England pick him. Salisbury is named as the second spinner, along with Philip Tufnell, in the hope that he can recapture his lost rhythm during England's winter sessions at Lilleshall and (for a week in Decem- ber) Portugal, and Atherton is apparently unworried by the various question marks over fitness. ''We don't go until January, which gives people plenty of time for recuperation.'' The most encouraging aspect of the tour party is that there is no evidence that the selectors have been seduced by the one-day itinerary, as they were last winter. ''We gave the one-dayers very little thought,'' Atherton said. The other lesson they have learned from last time is the apparent futility of spying missions, and Fletcher will not be watching the West Indies playing against Sri Lanka. Just as well. When Fletcher flew to South Africa to watch India early last winter, the one thing he felt confident enough to announce was that Anil Kumble could barely spin a yarn, let alone a leg break. (Thanks: The Independent and Muthu) posted by Vicky on r.s.c. Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)