To Aussie with love
Sir: I feel I must make some comment on Simon Raven's ar- ticle 'Dust and Ashes' (20 March).
I get the impression that when he first heard that Illingworth was to captain the ?ACC to Australia, he must have recoiled in horror. Much rather he would like to have seen a team led by Cowdrey, who plays the game 'with love' to go out to Australia and lose, rather than see a professionally led team win the Ashes.
All of his bellyaching about the • team playing as trade- unionists, having a captain who makes you feel two miles high when you salute him, etc etc, makes me feel as though his mind was made up before he left these shores just what type of article he was going to produce.
What I really do think needs to have attention drawn to it is where he (Simon Raven) says that Colin Cowdrey's failure was greeted with 'spiteful pleasure' by his team mates. I think he should be made to prove this. Perhaps he heard this along with much other tittle-tattle that one hears at the parties given for the 'old brigade' at which he thinks the captain should attend and be nice.
Also he thinks the fashion is for professionalism and I say, so what.
Better, I think, for Simon Raven to stick to his Sunday afternoon village cricket where the local farmer or local squire is made captain, year in, year out, some- one T am sure Simon Raven will look up to, someone who, if he wishes to feel two miles high, would let him (Simon Raven) salute him all bloody afternoon.
A. L. Taylor 317 London Road, Deal, Kent
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