David Graveney Interview (4 November 1998)
David Graveney , manager of the England cricket team, is a man at the heart of the game in England
04-Nov-1998
4 November 1998
David Graveney Interview
The Daily Star
"In 10 years Bangladesh will be where SL & Zimbabwe are now"
David Graveney, manager of the England cricket team, is a
man at the heart of the game in England. His position as the chairman
of selectors gives him a unique insight into cricket and the structure
of the game in England. On October 27, he took time out to speak to
Nausher Rahman at the Sonargaon Hotel on a host of topics, ranging
from the changes needed to improve the level of the game and the
globalisation of the sport.
Daily Star Sport: Mr. Graveney, can we start with your opinion
of the standard of cricket in England, the level of the game being
played there right now?
Graveney: The county championship... it's not too bad.
We're, I think, having a reassessment of our championship in the year
2000... but yes it's not going too badly. My main concern is on two
fronts really. It's the types of wickets we play on, I don't think
they are particularly productive to produce Test match players. And
also our experience in playing 50-over cricket is not as great as
other players... For Azhar to be making his 300th one-day
appearance... it's a huge difference from what we're normally used
to.
DSS: What changes would you make specifically?
Graveney: I would probably go for a two divisional system as
far as domestic cricket is concerned. I would like to see the wickets
improved greatly so that maybe we might introduce something like
Australia have... like a first innings points maybe. And as far as
50-over cricket, it is really to enter as many competitions as we can.
DSS: Do you think this flawed structure is the reason for
England's somewhat dismal performances?
Graveney: Well I wouldn't say dismal performances... we've just
won our first 5 Test match series for the first time in 12 years, so I
wouldn't say that's dismal. We won in Sharjah that's within the last
12 months. But, you know, we could win obviously more often and I just
think that those 2 factors would help.
DSS: Well what about the 12 years before that, any reasons for
the standard of cricket then?
Graveney: Well we've had a lack of success certainly, and
hopefully my suggestions will help the situation.
DSS: Do you think the series against South Africa is a turning
point in English cricket, a rebirth almost?
Graveney: Well it would give our players a lot of confidence in
terms of going to Australia. Playing in Australia, or trying to beat
Australia in Australia is always going to be extremely difficult. But
we should see how we go... we need to stay in the contest because
we've always lost in Brisbane straight off. So we should see what
happens, but it will be extremely difficult... Australia are quite
rightly the number one team in the world... but, you know, they're a
team to be beaten and if we can get off to a good start we can stay in
the series.
DSS: Realistically though, how far do you think you can go in
the Ashes?
Graveney: Well you never enter any sporting contest unless you
think you've got chances to win, and I know that I would speak on
behalf of all our players and that would be the case. We realise our
record in Australia is not very good... I was speaking to the players
today and the Australian press have already written us off as not
being a viable team to win, so, we should see how we go.
DSS: Do you prefer being the underdogs?
Graveney: It's not for us to decide who is the underdog, it's
for others to decide. But this could be quite right that we are
considered to be the underdogs because of Australia's impressive
record in recent years... and certainly, you know, they come into this
series having just beaten Pakistan in Pakistan which is also a very
difficult thing to do.
DSS: The absence of Shane Warne is going to help your cause by
how much, in your opinion?
Graveney: Well there's some doubt in terms of whether Shane
Warne will be available. I would say at the outset that it would be a
tragic loss to the game of cricket if he didn't come back into the
game because he's such a fantastic performer. He'll be back, and we
have to beat Australia with Shane Warne in or not with Shane Warne in.
I happen to know that Stuart MacGill is a worthy replacement, so
they'll have enough ammunition even if Shane Warne is not there to
start with.
DSS: Now you say that Australia is a very good team. On the
whole though, do you think Test cricket now is as strong as it was,
say, 10 years back?
Graveney: I think it's always very difficult to compare
generations to generations. People say sort of, 'Who is the best
player that ever was'... it's something difficult to do. I think the
game of cricket is much stronger world-wide, in terms of ten years ago
Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka weren't the forces they are know. Bangladesh...
you advance the clock 10 years ten years time, they'll be exactly
where Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe are at the present stage. So, I think the
game is flourishing.
DSS: So are you in favour of expanding cricket all over the
globe?
Graveney: I think that's right, yeah. I think the objects of
this particular tournament are to raise money to invest in cricket
world-wide, I think it's a worthwhile thing and hopefully the
tournament will be a success.
DSS: What of the fears that if the game does expand to a
certain extent it might lower the overall standard of the game?
Graveney: It would never lower the overall standard because the
more people that play, the better it is for the world cricketer.
DSS: What are your thoughts on the proposed Test championship,
whereby through a system of points, at the end of an allotted period
of time, you can say for sure that a certain team is the best test
team?
Graveney: Well its difficult to do because obviously it's very
difficult for all countries to play each other. But any system that
tries to identify who actually is the best team in the world is quite
a good idea.
DSS: A lot of the teams are using this tournament as a starting
point for the World Cup next year, and the nucleus of the teams they
have here will essentially be the same for the World Cup. Is it the
same with England?
Graveney: Yeah, more or less. Obviously the Ashes party is in
Australia at present, in that team, I can tell you, its got quite a
lot of players who'll be in the World Cup. But I think probably for
us, the side that probably takes part in the Carleton and United
tournament in Australia after Christmas will probably be more
reflective of who will play in the World Cup.
DSS: So this early loss will not set back your World Cup
preparations too much?
Graveney: Well there'll be four people who lose in the
quarter-finals and the interesting fixture of this particular
tournament is because it's a shootout. It's different from any other
tournaments we take part in where initially, in every tournament, you
can play a few games before you actually get to the knockout stage.
New Zealand and ourselves and Zimbabwe are the early casualties but
there'll be two other casualties before we get to the semi-final
stage.
DSS: Are you in favour of a format such as this considering
that the teams have to travel such a distance to play, in some cases,
only one match?
Graveney: If the mathematics add up in terms of fundraising,
then it's obviously quite a good thing to do. I'm sure the players
don't mind it. Where the tournament is situated in the calendar will
effect certain sides more than others. For instance, we've stopped
playing domestic cricket for the last month but everybody else has
been playing cricket quite regularly... so it puts us at a slight
disadvantage.
Source :: The Bangladesh Daily Star (https://www.dailystarnews.com)