You may have heard this one before: Alec Stewart has been at the centre of the England selectors' debate on the touring party for South Africa. The difference this time is that the alternatives are not whether he bats or keeps wicket, but whether he is selected or consigned forever to outer darkness and Surrey.

The doubts about Stewart's future grew last Monday when the selectors - David Graveney, Duncan Fletcher and Nasser Hussain held preliminary discussions with their official advisers Jack Birkenshaw and Ian Botham. Their meeting at Lord's was enlivened by the appearance of Lord MacLaurin, chairman of the England Cricket Board, and Brian Bolus, chairman of the England Management Advisory Committee, who made a joint appeal for youth in a rare exercise of their influence.

Nothing could be more indicative of the official desire that England should have a youthful image to preserve at least some of the public's faith and affection. On cricketing grounds, though, it is incredible that the axe should hover over Stewart, who helped England to a draw with 83 not out at Old Trafford and kept wicket so flawlessly at the Oval that nobody noticed.

Stewart has never generated the sympathy to match his standing as England's only batsman in the top 10 of the world Test rankings. He is known to like a bob or two; and the presence of a deposed king (as opposed to Mike Atherton, who resigned and has been sounded out for the tour vice-captaincy) will always arouse suspicion, even though Stewart has done nothing to undermine Hussain. Maybe it is his apparent lack of flaw or weakness.

In any event it is far too late to find another wicketkeeper who is guaranteed to make Test runs in South Africa. This desire for youth, if only for PR purposes, made its presence felt after the World Cup when Chris Read was chosen before he was ready to keep at Test level, let alone to arrest the batting collapses which marred every one of England's Tests against New Zealand. An alternative to Stewart would have been on hand now if Rob Turner, highly competent all round, had been chosen instead of Read, or else Paul Nixon, who would have made sure that England were not out-sledged.

The plea for youth cements the place of Darren Maddy, bound though he is to struggle if the South African bowlers draw him forward on and outside off-stump; of Chris Adams as the replacement for Graham Thorpe; of Andy Flintoff as the allrounder instead of Ronnie Irani; and probably of Chris Silverwood as the sixth pace bowler. Ed Giddins damaged his intercostal and his cause in withdrawing from Warwickshire's last match against Glamorgan, in front of Duncan Fletcher.

Another emerging factor in selection is Fletcher's refusal to tolerate bowlers who cannot bat or field, and Giddins will always be a No 11, even in England's team. Similarly, Phil Tufnell's place is under threat from Ashley Giles, who bats and competes but is a heavily-built man with a history of Achilles trouble. Hussain, who has brought the best out of Tufnell's bowling, and Graveney, who would have picked Tufnell last winter, will probably win a temporary reprieve.

Fletcher's stance though has to be right in the longer term. England's humiliation by New Zealand was the result of their failure to play as a team, and nothing is more damaging to a team's spirit - and uplifting for opponents - than a collapsing tail, unless it is poor fielding. New Zealand brought off four run-outs in the series to England's nil, and Tufnell's clownish dropping of Matt Horne, the century-maker at Lord's, could be seen as the turning-point of the series.

The Thorpe episode was another classic example of how England have failed to make the most of what they have. We can blame sedentary lifestyles, non-competitive cultures and the lack of sport in state education; but these background influences do not affect the fact that England are needlessly deficient in communication, planning, collective purpose, and respect between players and administrators. Combined together, these factors have led to a downward spiral culminating in a paralysing fear of getting out instead of a will to dominate. It was no disgrace to be troubled all summer by Dion Nash and Chris Cairns; it was to let Daniel Vettori bowl 137 overs for 249 runs.

Happily, these areas which have hitherto been England's deficiencies are Fletcher's fortes, but it is too late to undo the Thorpe damage. Hussain made him his deputy at Lord's to bring him out of his shell and contribute more as a senior player. The selectors' appointment of Mark Butcher at Old Trafford, with predictable consequences, drove Thorpe back into his shell and branded him as a latterday Derek Randall, forever unfit to captain anybody. It cannot be said that Thorpe, if he had felt appreciated, would have knocked off the runs at the Oval and gone to South Africa; but he might have felt more inclined to do so.

His replacement, Adams, illustrates the absence of long-term planning. From his early Derby days Adams was conspicuous for his hand-eye co-ordination and strokeplay, and his refusal to listen. He should have been sent on at least one A tour instead of the journeymen who were. Now, as if it were not hard enough to be a flair batsman against such unrelenting bowling as South Africa's, he will have international experience amounting to two one-dayers as preparation for this winter.

We should indeed start with a blank piece of paper, but not for writing down England teams. Instead, it should be given to experts like Ian or Greg Chappell, Michael Holding and Barry Richards, who have done it all and now see it all; and they should be asked for their blueprint for English cricket, which should be enacted.

Over the last 15 years, in which England have become ever feebler, the one constant has been the board - ECB or TCCB - and their county-driven priority, not of international excellence, but of as much one-day county cricket as possible. New Zealand's cricket was in a complete mess five years ago but it has been reformed, starting with the constitution and a management board of eight selected on merit not as parochial representatives. The booing at the Oval should be redirected at the ECB. Maintain the rage.