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.Raymond Illingworth is ready to fight a leadership battle in order to stay on as England's chairman of selectors this summer. While Mike Atherton wants time "to reflect" in the wake of World Cup elimination and another generally depressing winter, Illingworth will not resign.
"They tell me there's a lobby at home to get rid of me," he said. "We'll see what happens but I've told them all along I'd like to carry on next summer and that's still the case.
"I'm not going to hang myself if they get rid of me. I can walk away and enjoy myself. We have to start afresh next summer but that doesn't mean eight or nine changes."
His determination to fight on is backed by Dennis Silk, chairman of the Test and County Cricket Board. While warning that the game "will die" in this country if the lessons of the World Cup humiliation are not heeded, Silk said that sacking Illingworth would simply make him a "scapegoat".
Illingworth, whose two-year term as chairman ends on 31 March, as does his 12-month appointment as team manager, said: "If the counties put forward other people to be chairman [of selectors] then there will have to be a vote. I'm prepared to defend my corner.
"As long as players are fighting and giving 100 per cent I'll go along with them. The only thing I can't stand is people who lay down and die and I've had no complaints on that score."
In Silk's view, England's malaise was not down to Illingworth alone. "England have been on a serious downward spiral for a long time now," he said. "This is no cycle that will suddenly end. I just hope that the events of Saturday and of the past few weeks will start to concentrate peoples' minds."
John Emburey, the England A team manager, believes Atherton should stay. "The boys have got to come home, be honest and have a chat about what has happened or hasn't happened.
"There's not a replacement for Mike Atherton in the team and I think he should keep the captaincy. He's been playing well and the team have let him down."
David Graveney, secretary of the Cricketers' Association and an England selector, believes the seriousness of England's decline should dictate a deeper reaction than merely a change of personnel at management level.
Graveney wants an urgent appraisal of England's present problems, with a special general meeting called at Lord's if necessary. "You can only talk around the subject for so long," he said. "What we need now is for someone to do something about it. We must get our top players properly prepared, mentally and physically, for international cricket.
"One thing that does concern me, generally, is that sport doesn't seem to get very high on the agenda in England... unless we fail."
World Cup update
SATURDAY'S QUARTER-FINALS: Sri Lanka (236 for 5) bt England (235 for 8) by five wickets; India (287 for 8) bt Pakistan (248 for 9) by 39 runs.
TODAY'S QUARTER-FINALS: South Africa v West Indies (at National stadium, Karachi, Pakistan, 4.00) (Live on Sky Sports, 3.45).
New Zealand v Australia (at M A Chidambaram stadium, Chepauk, Madras, India, 9.00) (Live on Sky Sports at 12.00).
SEMI-FINALS: Wednesday 13 March: India v Sri Lanka (at Eden Gardens, Calcutta).
Thursday 14 March: Karachi winner v Madras winner (at Punjab Cricket Association stadium, Chandigarh, India).
FINAL: Sunday 17 March: (at Gaddafi stadium, Lahore, Pakistan).
England in 1996
Test series against South Africa
Newlands (5th Test): Lost by 10 wkts
One-day international series v S Africa
Cape Town: Lost by 6 runs
Bloemfontein: Won by 5 wkts
Johannesburg: Lost by 3 wkts
Pretoria: Lost by 7 wkts
Durban: Lost by 5 wkts
East London: Lost by 14 runs
Port Elizabeth: Lost by 64 runs
World Cup: Group stage
Ahmedabad: Lost to New Zealand by 11 runs
Peshawar: Beat UAE by 8 wkts
Faisalabad: Beat Netherlands by 49 runs
Rawalpindi: Lost to South Africa by 78 runs
Karachi: Lost to Pakistan by 7 wkts
Quarter-final
Faisalabad: Lost to Sri Lanka by 5 wkts
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
0Comments