The groundwork is still being laid for the 'incorporation' of the ICC, making it a body with legal and financial standing, less sub- ject to the whims of cricketing politics which in the past have threatened to create splits over South Africa and over which country should stage the next World Cup. A decision on incorporation is expected to be taken at Kuala Lumpur next month but there is still potential conflict over the issue of who should succeed Sir Clyde Walcott as chairman.
The solution suggested by the New Zealand accountant, Sir John Anderson, is that the Test-playing countries should provide a chairman on a two-year cycle. It will be a surprise if the first incum- bent is not the ambitious Calcutta business-man, Jagmohan Dalmiya.
Lord MacLaurin and Tim Lamb, the England and Wales Cricket Board's top brass, may have moved on after the Wellington Test, but their places have been taken by Bob Bennett, chairman of the new England management committee, and Doug Insole, who has just been co-opted by that committee to continue his role as the planner of England's overseas tours. With John Barclay here as manager of the tour, only Brian Bolus, who was elected along with Barclay to The Management committee, and David Acfield, who is a member by virtue of being chairman of the (general) cricket committee, will not have seen something of this tour at first hand.
Bennett confirmed on his arrival here that the new chairman of the England selectors, the one remaining post on his eightman committee, will not be named until the middle of next month. There will be a shortlist once nominations have ceased - Lord MacLaurin has welcomed them from outside the counties as well as within - and inter- views will be held.
David Graveney remains the favourite now that he has been cleared by the Cricketers Association, who employ him as their secretary, to do the job in a relatively low-key way and Bennett said yesterday that his past management of a 'rebel' team to South Africa would not be held against him. Both Barclay and Bolus are also believed to have been nominated and two others who may be are the former Eng- land cricketers John Edrich and Alan Moss.
Edrich was involved with England only last winter, as batting coach, but Moss, the less well-known fast bowler, commends himself, perhaps, because he has been out of the public eye, and not one of cricket's inner circle. On the other hand, he retired from first-class cricket in 1968, so he would hardly be the choice of the contemporary player. Graham Gooch may be discounted, having resolved to play one final season for Essex, but the new chairman would be unwise not to want him as a member of the selection committee when it is formed.
The Essex influence remains strong at Lord's. On the face of it, Insole's appointment suggests that the new regime will merely be the old one in different clothes. He represents England on the ICC's cricket committee, however, and it is mainly because of that inner knowledge of the workings of ICC that he has been retained by the England committee. The former Essex captain and England bats- man has not always been adaptable to change, tending to take the parochial rather than the national view if there was a conflict between his former roles as chairman of both Essex and the Test and County Cricket Board.
He has walked the corridors of cricket power for a long time but he is as tough as they come. Despite family tragedies he still looks an athlete, far younger than his age, 70. Moreover, his integrity is respected and he so clearly has the good of English cricket at heart. Besides, there are men with new ideas around him now, particu- larly Barclay, who has taken over from M J K Smith as chairman of 'development': in other words the link between junior cricket at the base of the pyramid and the England team at its pinnacle.
Whether or not Barclay continues as manager of England for next year's tour to the Caribbean, this is an indication of his future role in the game. He has been far from an authoritarian manager, inclined to be too kind and liberal with his players, perhaps, but he is a man who really cares about other people and works from the solid base of a committed Christian faith.
Very unusually, therefore, he does not judge his own contribution to the early downs and recent ups of this tour by whether England have won a match, rather by whether he has done what he believes to be right.