Caddick, Croft drop out, others fall in line

By Ted Corbett

LONDON, OCT. 30. Temporarily at any rate, the England tour of India has been saved by the decision of three of the five doubters to travel with the rest of the party which leaves on November 13. Two have dropped out.

The quick bowler Andrew Caddick says his new baby was uppermost in his mind when he chose to stay at home and the off- spinner Robert Croft says his family would not feel safe if he went. Replacements - Chris Silverwood of Yorkshire in place of Caddick and, as there is not other worthwhile spinner in the country, perhaps no-one to step into Croft's shoes - will be announced later. Giles and White still have to pass fitness tests next week and although White is sure to succeed, there is still doubt about Giles' recovery. He missed the whole of last season.

Tomorrow John Carr, the Board's operations director, and Tim O'Gorman, of the Professional Cricketers' Association, will travel to India to look over the security arrangements but they are likely to return with an upbeat view.

On an untimely holiday

Part of the difficulty in picking replacements is that Duncan Fletcher, the England coach, is home in South Africa and Tim Lamb, the chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, is on holiday with his family in Spain. It is their right to take rests when they feel the need but at a time of crisis such as the one which hit the Board this week-end when it looked as if none of the five might be prepared to travel they have not been wise in their choice of holidays.

Carr declared: ``The ECB is delighted that the players have now made their decisions and thanks them for respecting the ECB's urgency. Tim O'Gorman and I are travelling to India tomorrow to confirm all the security arrangements for the tour. The Indian authorities have a great deal of experience in implementing security measures and we look forward to a successful tour both on and off the pitch.''

Giles said: ``I now look forward to flying to India with the rest of the touring party.'' Trescothick commented: ``The additional time provided has enabled me to make my decision in the right frame of mind.'' White said: ``I am undergoing a fitness test on November 7 and if passed fit I confirm I will travel to India with the England squad.''

Caddick said, ``My decision to opt out was extremely difficult. My choice does not reflect any lack of commitment to English cricket and, had circumstances been different, I would love to have toured India. Turning down the opportunity to represent my country is something I would never have believed possible. I needed to be confident that my family was happy for me to tour. I have two children, Ashton who is three and Fraser, born only on October 12. For them and my wife I have made the very personal decision not to go to India.

Croft added: ``After further discussions with friends and family I could not guarantee full commitment to the England team, knowing that my family would worry about my safety. Extraordinary circumstances have led to my decision.''

Different characters all

The five are completely different characters. White is quiet but a man of immense determination and Giles a happy-go-lucky, gregarious type who is hail-fellow-well- met with everyone he meets while Trescothick, next in line for the captaincy, has too much to lose to drop out. Caddick has recovered from serious injury to become one of England's outstanding post-war bowlers. Croft is a cheeky chappie, but seriously Welsh - he speaks both languages - enough to have been upset at having to make this decision.

Caddick will almost certainly be recalled for the tour of New Zealand, the land of his birth, but Croft may have thrown away his last chance to establish a Test place, not least because Richard Dawson, just 21 and with only a few first class matches behind him, promises to be the off-spinner of the era. Without Darren Gough and Alec Stewart, both taking a winter's rest, and now Caddick and Croft, England has been badly weakened. The young bowlers in particular have an opportunity to stake a Test claim for a long time to come.

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