Frantic quest to
Tour chaos as even stand-ins report injured
ENGLAND’S incredible journey towards the summit of world cricket is facing an examination every bit as fierce as that provided by Australia during the unforgettable Ashes summer.
Not only were England last night preparing to go into Saturday’s first Test against Pakistan without captain Michael Vaughan, but they also found that the first two choices to be called up as cover were injured as well. And to cap a less than perfect day, the tourists suffered a six-wicket defeat by Pakistan A in their last warm- up game before Multan.
Vaughan could only look on helplessly at the Bagh- e- Jinnah ground yesterday, his twisted right knee in a brace, as England limped listlessly without him against a Pakistan second string who romped to their victory target of 245 at close to five an over.
As England’s chief medical officer Peter Gregory, here in Lahore, and specialists in London pored over the results of new and old scans on Vaughan’s troublesome joints, the full implications of the captain’s absence for a t l e a s t t h e f i r s t Te s t were becoming worryingly apparent.
First, England contacted Owais Shah to call him to the tour party but the Middlesex batsman had to tell them that he had just had a knee operation which has revealed more serious damage than expected.
Then they turned to Kent’s Rob Key, but he too has just undergone shoulder surgery and turned down the invitation to relaunch his international career.
Vaughan and coach Duncan Fletcher were examining their options last night before deciding on Vaughan’s fate and the identity of their new batsman. Today the party moves on to Multan, an inhospitable venue with fewer creature comforts than Lahore or Rawalpindi and one where they will need every drop of experience and know-how.
England dearly want to turn to an older hand as a shortterm measure to supplement their young side but candidates are thin on the ground. Mark Butcher, the obvious choice now Graham Thorpe has retired, has had another setback in his elongated battle to overcome a wrist injury and may need another operation. In any case, he is currently on a charity cycling venture in Cambodia.
That left Vikram Solanki, already in the one- day party and a richly talented underachiever, as a safe choice. But a blast from the past, if chosen as a wild card, could turn out to be an inspired selection. Mark Ramprakash was, with regret, consigned to England’s past in 2002 after Fletcher and the then captain Nasser Hussain decided they could not bring the best out of the most naturally gifted but temperamentally flawed English batsman of his generation.
Yet, frustratingly, the 36-yearold remains peerless in the County Championship with Surrey and could fit the bill for England’s needs perfectly.
Ramprakash could play at a moment’s notice while England decide whether Vaughan can take any further part on this tour and, freed from the expectation that inhibited him, might finally do justice to his ability.
England were also considering staying consistent to the forward- looking policy that has served them so well, with Alastair Cook and Ed Joyce both part of an Academy squad who are effectively England’s second team and seen as future Test batsmen. Of the two left-handers Cook would be the more imaginative choice as he looks more certain of international success, while question marks remain about Joyce.
It all added to a feeling of chaos and confusion among an England team who looked uninspired and distracted under Marcus Trescothick’s leadership yesterday and never looked like bowling Pakistan A out on a wicket that eased considerably after the significant movement of the first day-and-a-half. Tw i c e , b a t t i n g c o a c h Matthew Maynard took to the field as substitute while England squad players were taken to practise elsewhere and there was a 10- minute stint in charge for Andrew Flintoff when Trescothick w e n t o f f , a c c o r d i n g t o Fletcher, ‘ to check which bowlers he should use’. N o t e x a c t l y a r i n g i n g endorsement for his stand-in leadership.
It was Flintoff who took the only three wickets of the day to fall — one a brilliant, onehanded caught and bowled chance — but not even he could stem the flow of runs, mostly coming from the bat of Pakistan A captain Hasan Raza.
Eight years ago, Raza apparently became the youngest Test player in history at 14, even though his youth was widely questioned. He did his chances of making a Test comeback at 22 no harm here with an unbeaten 71 that included three sixes. R a z a i s i n t h e 1 6 - m a n Pakistan squad for the first Test but is unlikely to play. Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison were worryingly ineffective while Ashley Giles and Shaun Udal were milked for runs with ease by the hosts’ second string.
At least Fletcher took consolation from the fact that England lost the equivalent match against South Africa A last winter before going on to victory in the Test series. This time that may prove to be more difficult.
‘There was a bit of a lack of intensity from our guys today and to lose like this is not ideal but I am backing them to turn that intensity up to the required levels in Multan,’ said Fletcher. ‘ They have done it before and I have no doubt they can do it again.’