|
|
Developing Asian Talent (Part Two) |
 |
 |
 |
|
The Long Wait:
Britain has yet to produce an international footballer of Asian origins. France developed Vikash Dhorasoo – a player who represented them in the World Cup final in 2006 – without a significant Asian talent pool to draw on. Nervertheless, former professional footballer and current FA coach Noel Blake sees no reason to worry.
“You’ve mentioned one in France,” said Blake. “How big is France? France has produced a lot of African and Caribbean players, yet it has taken a while for that to happen in the England team. It doesn’t happen overnight. It’s taken a long, long time. The first black player to play for England was in 1978 – Viv Anderson – and that’s only recent.”
This was almost a century after Arthur Wharton became the first black professional footballer in England. He was eligible to represent England in the 1880s, but despite his claims being pressed in the north-east Wharton was never seriously considered for international recognition. However, his contemporary Andrew Watson played for Scotland in the 1880s.
It would be unthinkable for an England squad not to have a black face in it now and they all came through on merit. Blake thinks that Asian origin players will also come through naturally in time. “My point is it does take time to develop these players,” said Blake. “It’s the same with players from wherever you are from, whatever your culture is. If you want it badly enough and are prepared to put the work in – ability and dedication go hand in hand.”
So when will it happen? “I wouldn’t know,” Blake told us. “I couldn’t put a timescale on it. I wouldn’t know what generation. What I’m saying to you is there a number of Asian players within football clubs. Sometimes it takes longer than we would like, but I think like I said before, it’s a two-way process – one the players of whatever culture have got to want to do it. They’ve got to have the ability and dedication.”
|
|
Read more...
|
| The Battle of the Worst:
With three matches played, Middlesex and Gloucestershire met at Lord’s to settle the issue of who will leave with the indignity of propping up the County Championship Division Two. Middlesex had 12 points from three matches and Gloucestershire was one below in last place with 6 points, although they had played a game less. The recent rule change that banned the use of heavy rollers during matches has controlled the pancake pitches of last year, but are they as bowler-friendly as they might seem at first glance.
Gloucestershire chose to bat yesterday. Abdul-Kadeer Ali made just 7, before Middlesex’s New Zealander Iain O’Brien, bowled him – the first of seven wickets the fast bowler took. O’Brien relished the opportunity to share the new ball with Tim Murtagh as Steven Finn was rested as part of the performance squad by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) – a measure that allows them to rest up to 27 players they believe will be important for England.
|
|
Read more...
|
Not enforced:
Glamorgan led by 165 runs on the first innings but captain Jamie Dalrymple chose not to enforce the follow on. “I think it was the case that we had a few injury problems,” said their wicketkeeper Mark Wallace. “James Harris, who leads our attack was struggling with a quad injury so we decided that it was best not to enforce the follow on, plus we thought that the wicket would probably get worse.”
Wallace had a good view of the behaviour of the wicket from behind the stumps so had the wicket deteriorated? This is an important consideration after the ban on the use of heavy rollers between innings. “Whether it has or not is probably debatable,” said Wallace, “but I think it was the right decision certainly not to enforce the follow on because we would have been a bowler down and at a great disadvantage.”
Rather than risk an attack with just three specialist bowlers Dalrymple chose to give Harris time to recover and bat again. Middlesex fought back. Mark Cosgrove retired hurt on 17 after ducking into a delivery from Steven Finn. He was hit on the helmet. It wasn’t clear that he would return. Glamorgan closed on 119 for 6. Michael Powell made 47 from 76 balls with six fours to add to his first innings half century and Wallace scored 37 from 66 balls with four boundaries. He made a splendid unbeaten 79 in the first innings.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
|
Developing Asian Talent (Part One) |
|
|
|
|
Under-represented:
Britain has yet to produce an international quality footballer of Asian origin. Of the current generation Michael Chopra and Zesh Rehman both played in the Premier League and for various youth teams for England, but neither won a full England cap. “I don’t think I’ve deserved to have an England cap, so I can’t really be disappointed about that,” Chopra told us exclusively. “I think if you’re going to be an England player, you’ve got to be playing week in week out in the Premiership and I haven’t really been doing that on a regular basis, so I can’t really say I’m disappointed, because I don’t think I’ve deserved it.”
The search continues, but over sixty years ago a British-Asian player pulled on an England shirt and played nine internationals – albeit not considered full internationals due to the Second World War – between 1942 and 1945. Frank Soo played alongside the great Sir Stanley Matthews for Stoke City in England’s First Division – predecessor of the Premier League. He made his debut in 1933, so how imporant a role model was Soo for Asian would be footballers?
“It’s important,” Chopra said. “I personally don’t think that there’s enough Asian players in the game. Don’t know why that is. Thankfully for me I’ve got the Indian side of my background and I know that no matter what I do there’s always going to be Asian kids growing up wanting to be a footballer and the main thing is you’ve got to stick in and keep working hard and then hopefully they will fulfil their dreams.”
|
|
Read more...
|
Backfoot:
Middlesex’s problems began early. Steven Finn took fourteen wickets in a losing effort against Worcestershire, but he had no luck at Lord’s. In a hostile first hour on Thursday morning he went past the outside edge regularly and Mike Powell, who went on to get 55 from 98 balls with ten fours, was dropped on 13 by John Simpson behind the stumps off the luckless Finn. After dismissing Mark Cosgrove for a duck Finn toiled without reward until the final delivery of Glamorgan’s innings.
Finn – the most recent debutant for England on the tour of Bangladesh – was a real handful. Along with Tim Murtagh, Middlesex has an impressive opening attack. “It definitely gives you confidence when you see Finny and Murts opening the bowling, putting all that effort in and getting good pace and bounce and going for hardly any runs,” said Berg. “It’s your job to come on next to fulfil that role.”
Powell rode his luck in an 84 runs partnership with opening batsman Gareth Rees. It was the first major partnership of the match – too early to be a turning point, but it helped to settle Glamorgan’s nerves on their way to a decent total of 315 all out. Rees’ knock of 38 from 133 balls with seven fours won’t win any awards, but it was a valuable effort. “I think it was harder for the boys batting earlier on,” said Glamorgan’s wicketkeeper/batsman Mark Wallace. “Gareth Rees and Michael Powell both played excellently. I think their contribution to the whole game has been a lot higher than those numbers possibly suggest.”
|
|
Read more...
|
Defeated but Hopeful:
Inspired by the bowling of Huw Waters 4 for 39 from 21.1 overs, Glamorgan completed a 76 run victory over Middlesex – their first at Lord’s for fifty-six years – in just over a session on the final day. Following a 111 runs defeat by Worcestershire in their first match and a total of just six points – all from bowling – Middlesex were left looking for positives to take from the match. There were some, but not many.
Chasing 375 in the final innings to record an unlikely win, Middlesex got half way there for the loss of four wickets before caving in during the morning session, although 298 all out in the final innings on a pitch that had worn sufficiently for a divot or two to produce the odd delivery that misbehaved was a creditable effort. “That was always going to be a stiff task to chase down that 380 odd on the last day,” said England captain, Andrew Strauss, playing for Middlesex before joining up with England for the series against Bangladesh and then Pakistan, “but I think there’s still some good signs there.”
Strauss had more to add. “We’ve played some good cricket in bits,” he said, “but I think we’ve not been in enough of the game so far this season, so we’ve definitely got some things to improve on in the coming games. I’m here with Middlesex for six games. I see my role to contribute as much as I can in those six games and if I do that then my preparation is going to take care of itself for the international stuff. It is to a certain extent a different game and the wickets are different. The types of bowling is different, so you’ve got to adjust your technique, but that’s a good thing. Come the start of the international season you’ve got to get a certain number of runs, which hopefully will happen for me from now on.”
|
|
Read more...
|
|
