Sports Letters: Cricket needs more charisma
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Having witnessed the latest debacle by the England cricket team at Lord's by the customary colourless crew of percentage performers, with the exceptions of Chris Read and Andy Caddick in England's second innings, the undersigned submit that the "grafting line and length" philosophy has been tried and found wanting for long enough.
The time has surely come to pick a team which, win or lose, has some spirit of adventure and derring-do: players in the Corinthian mould who believe that the bat's secondary function is to defend the wicket, but that first and foremost it is for scoring runs; and that the ball is provided for the taking of wickets and not just to be delivered down a six-inch corridor on or outside the off-stump.
The following, we submit, would make up a side of no little cricketing charisma, capable of providing a champagne spectacle whether in victory or defeat: Knight (Warwickshire), Trescothick (Somerset), Adams (Sussex, vice-capt), Maynard (Glamorgan, capt), Flintoff (Lancashire), Brown (Surrey), Read (Nottinghamshire, wicketkeeper), Tudor (Surrey), Cork (Derbyshire), Gough (Yorkshire) or Caddick (Somerset), Tufnell (Middlesex).
Whatever the result, they would be well worth the price of admission.
TRISTAN YORK and TIM WARE
London
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments