THE season is barely a week old and already the utterly inevitable meteorological backlash has struck, I've recorded my first ``golden duck'', been majestically driven into my first pavilion and Simon Hughes has managed to offend on more than one occasion.
Nothing too remarkable there you may think, especially considering that I am one of the deeply offended (dibbly-dobblers indeed, military medium I can live with, but dibbly-dobblers!) But when you discover that in among the other ``disgusted of Tunbridge Wells'' lurks an entire county you will realise what a unique achievement Simon's is. By criticising the catering in Glamorgan he has managed to raise Welsh hackles alarmingly. This is an act of the utmost cowardice. I'll wager he would not have criticised a county who had just signed Waqar Younis if he had still been playing. I for one would like to make it quite clear that in my humble opinion Welsh hospitality is without peer and the toll charge at the Severn Bridge is great value.
The 1997 season has all the makings of being fascinating, and could, nay should, prove to be an historic one. There is universal desire to beat the Australians and improve English cricket. The administrators, the players and the supporters all have one goal; to see England back on top. Unfortunately this is where the agreement ends. There are huge differences of opinion within the game. There are those radicals who are so committed to a massive shake-up that I fear they propose change merely for change's sake, and there are those traditionalists who are so entrenched in the sub-committee and working party method of stagnation that they will not allow our national summer game to evolve. Such is the diversity of opinion that it must be obvious that it will be impossible for Lord MacLaurin to please everyone when his blueprint for the future of English cricket is formally announced.
Before judgment is passed we should bear the following in mind. Lord MacLaurin was appointed, with universal support, to assess the state of English cricket and decide upon the ``way ahead''. Seldom can a problem have been more thoroughly assessed. Opinions and ideas have been sought from people representing every age group, every standard, and every standpoint within the game. The players are no exception.
The officers of the Professional Cricketers' Association, Mike Gatting, David Graveney, Peter Such, Alan Fordham and myself, have met and discussed our hopes and fears for the future with representatives of the England and Wales Cricket Board on more than one occasion. We are determined that the current custodians of the game have the fullest possible input into its future state and are delighted how highly valued the players' opinions are. The PCA will be balloting all their members, from the youngest professional cricketer to the sweatiest old pro, in order to give the most accurate picture possible of the players' opinions on a wide range of subjects: the question of two leagues, promotion and relegation, overseas cricketers, regional cricket and freedom of movement at the completion of contracts being but a few.
The desire to improve the game from within is enormous. We are all wholly aware of our responsibility to leave the game in a better state than it was when we started and as such the PCA welcome their share of the responsibility. As an association our profile has risen dramatically over the last couple of years and we are keen to continue to help improving the lot of cricket and, as importantly, the cricketer. As English cricketers we are permanently having the Australian game held up to us as some sort of holy grail. Speaking for myself I feel this is an utter red herring. We are not Australians, nor can we ever be Australians. We have a totally different make-up. Let us instead concentrate on the things we do well and do them better. We should enter this coming summer with great optimism. We have the talent, and having learned from this winter's lessons, we should have the belief.
Let us put the boot on the other foot for a change and hear the Aussies moaning about the lack of players to choose from and the lack of competitive cricket they play as reasons for defeat!
As I write this, Darren Gough has just bowled Graham Lloyd and Yorkshire are on their way to beating Benson and Hedges Cup holders Lancashire - we all know about English cricket when Yorkshire are strong.