The news that Ed Smith has been appointed as an England Selector is bemusing. Having spent the last 10 years building a career as a writer, broadcaster and journalist, a return to the fold in the guise of a selector is a strange one.
Just what does he bring to the party? Well, a big intellect and 10 years’ objective and rather erudite and readable observations on the game. Not to mention a former career in cricket that included a stalled international career. I always felt he was very unlucky at Test level and just didn’t quite get the rub of the green – ironically to the enduring benefit of the man who has now appointed him, Andrew Strauss.
Both at Kent and Middlesex, where he was captain, Smith enjoyed an uneasy and distant relationship with his players, apparently because he was on a completely different intellectual plane. Will this now work in his favour as a selector?
Hard to say becasue at the end of the day, the exercise of choosing which players represent England is a fairly prosaic exercise that varies from format to format. There is much mention these days of adopting a “Moneyball approach” not only to selection of players but also to the tactics that are to be adopted when certain players are batting or bowling. Apparently, “scouts” are to be sent out to run the rule over players becasue Trev the Coach has not got the time (and probably not got the inclinaction) to wander the shires and acquaint himself with who is hot and who is not.
If we take the England top order and ignore the mantra that “there is no one else out there” and after wading through all the Kolpaks and overseas, the reality is that there are probably no more than half a dozen current candidates waiting in the wings, some of whom have already had a go, others not. So checking them out is hardly going to be a major operation. Ultimately, form apart, selection comes down to “Do we maintain the status quo or do we take a chance”, more often, these days, a leap into the dark. It is hard to see Smith making a real difference or bringing something to the party that is not already there.
I should have thought that Smith is far more effective being out of the system and bringing his intellect and sharp powers of observation to bear on the shortcomings of teams, players coaches and selectors rather that turning his hand to an exercise which will compromise everything he currently does and stands for.
SW
Sticky Wicket 