Paceman Caddick is latest former star to bring his knowledge to the set-up
Tom Collomosse
HE men hoping t oo g u i d e English cricket to thehe top of the world believe theirheir play-playe r s must u n d e r s t aa nn dd the pa s t t o have a c haa ncnc ee o f shaping the future.
In the last 18 months, Englandand have been keen to establish closer ties with former stars.
The move followed accusationsons that, towards the end of Andy Flower’s highly successful stint as coachach from 2009-13, the team were too isolated from supporters and ex-players.ers.
As England prepared to face Pakistan in the Third Investec Test here, they were due to spend time todayday with Andrew Caddick, a skilfulul new-ball bowler for Englandnd from 1993-2003, who was capa-able of brilliance.
Caddick took 234 Test wicketss at less than 30 apiece and formedd an excellent pace-bowling partner-nership with Darren Gough.
He will share his experience withwith the current group of seam bowl-wlers, led by Jimmy Anderson andd Stuart Broad.
More importantly, however,r, England captain Alastair Cook and the coaching staff want to create links with the cricketerss who walked this path before them. The pattern began early in 2015 when Cook and thencoach Peter Moores invited Andrew Flintoff to join the squad during a one-day competition in Australia that preceded the World Cup. Since then, Sir Ian Botham has spent time with the team, as have former captains Bob Willis, Alec Stewart and Nasser Hussain. There are plans for ttwwo other skippers, DD aa v i d G o we r and MicMichael Vaughan, to do the sames this summer. Gower is likely to join the squad before ththe final Test at The Kia Oval, startistarting next Thursday, with Vaughan penpencilled in during the limited-overs matchesma that conclude the internationalinternationa summer. Gough has also been contactedco but a suitableble date has still nnot been agreed. “It’s not just about the here and now,” Paul FaFa rr bb r a c e , Engl a nd’s assiassi sst ant coach, t ol d StandarStandard Sport. “The next game is alwaysalw what is most important but let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture.pictu Let’s remember what playing for EnEngland is all about. “Peter Moores and Alastair Cook were very keen on the associationas between past and current players.pl “They wanted to rreconnect with the players from the past.p Trevor Bayliss [England’s AustralianAustralia coach] was keen to maintain that linlink, as it was somethingthing he did during his time in Australianian domestic cricketcricke with New South Wales, and the playersplay loved it. “It’s great for the playersp to get a feel of what it meant to ttheir predecessors. These conversatioconversations show the guys how much it meant to the former players.ers. It gives them ana insight into the tradition and the ppassion these men had. The players need to understand that because many of the ex-players work in the media, they will have harsh words to say at times. But they do not want the team to lose.
“No cricket team sets out to be distant but that distance can creep in. That is why it’s important the players make an effort to sign autographs and be in photos and we have a group who really understand the need to be open.”
When Flintoff spent a practice session with the team in Brisbane, the link with past stars was revived. Hussain followed it with a speech before a Test against West Indies in Antigua in April 2015, which Farbrace said was “hairs-on-theback-of-your-neck stuff ”.
He continued: “It was one of the best speeches I’ve ever heard to a cricket team. Everyone looked at each other, thinking, ‘That was special’. Ian Botham had a drink with the players in Cardiff before the Ashes Test last year and joined us in the dressing room after our win. [England fast bowler] Mark Wood wouldn’t leave him alone.
“Alec Stewart did something at The Oval last year and Bob Willis took the bowlers out for dinner before the Edgbaston Test. [Former batsman] Graeme Fowler was in the team huddle as we prepared for the Sri Lanka Test at Durham this year.
“Can doing things like this improve the current team as cricketers? Of course it can. You cannot underestimate what it has done for them.”
was due to have further assessment on his calf injury today. If he is making good progress, England will consider the all-rounder for the limited-overs matches that follow the Test series with Pakistan.