Graham Thorpe

Banish fitness doubts for Bangladesh tour

Wed Oct 14 07:29AM

I am all in favour of key England players being given a break in the winter tour of Bangladesh, including the captain Andrew Strauss.

The skipper (pictured) has suggested that players may be rested for the trip in February and use it for development purposes.

His views have been met with indifference from many quarters. Many people do not seem to understand that although cricketers want to play for the country in every match, it is not always possible.

I have sympathy for Strauss's view as international cricketers do need a rest from time to time and the schedule put in place for them can be arduous.

You can see how players return rejuvenated after a spell out of the game; Strauss himself is a classic example of that.

Ricky Ponting, too, when he returned from a spell away from the game in the recent one-day series in England, returned in exceptional form after looking pretty jaded.

If you ask the players, I think they would say that they want to play in every Test match available, but maybe the powers that be may want to take the initiative.

The Bangladesh tour follows that of South Africa earlier in the winter and, with a hectic summer and then the Ashes in Australia at the end of 2010, the players may need that break.

I would certainly not expect wholesale changes to the side, but you may well see a few key players withdrawn and opportunities presented to others.

For example, if Strauss needs a rest, the Bangladesh tour may represent an ideal chance for Joe Denly to be given an extended run in the side.

A player such as Denly may benefit hugely from such an opportunity and it may be the ideal stage for him to develop as a Test-match batsman without the pressure of other series.

There may be an element of frustration if established players see their replacements plundering runs against lowly opposition, but there are bigger battles to be fought.

I would be very surprised to see changes across the board, and I think that would not be right; but there is nothing wrong with making the odd decision to benefit an individual.

England's key players should not be wrapped in cotton wool, but equally there is a lot demanded of them in the modern game and the management need to bear that in mind.

I hope that Andy Flower, as the England team director, takes the initiative on this one and does not leave the decision to the players.

Too often, fitness calls are led by the heart and not by the head; playing at less than 100 per cent is one thing in the middle of an Ashes series, but it should be the exception rather than the norm.

I expect England to go to South Africa with all guns blazing and give that tour everything they have in an attempt to beat the world's best.

But when it comes to the tour of Bangladesh in February, I hope wisdom prevails and England use it to benefit their future, not hamper it.

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