Cricket: New Lancs skipper Law wants perfection

Nov 15 2007 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

EMPLOYING the engaging Australian directness which has characterised his long career, Stuart Law began his reign as Lancashire captain by stressing what an honour he had been given and then saying that he would be demanding “perfection or as near as we can reach” from the Old Trafford players during his time in charge.

“If anyone’s not doing it on the field, I’ll be ready to sit them down and explain why I’m unhappy,” he said. “Unfortunately, some people won’t like it but if we get the job done, I don’t think too many people will complain.”

Sitting in the august Old Trafford Committee Room and flanked by the Lancashire chairman Jack Simmons and the cricket manager Mike Watkinson, Law added that he had felt for a couple of years that the side had been on the verge of “something special” and that his aim would be to ensure that it continued to play “good, competitive tough cricket”.

“The championship is the ‘Holy Grail’,” Law said, in a reference to the trophy Old Trafford players and supporters prize most of all, but which the county has not won outright since 1934.

“If you win a championship, you deserve it,” he said. “We’ve been consistently good for the six months of the season for some years now and we’re nearly there. Lancashire haven’t won the title for a long time but Queensland had never won it when I took over. Hopefully I can pass on the knowledge I’ve got and the experience I’ve gained to the future of the club.”

The 39-year-old middle-order batsman, who led his state to five Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup titles, also admitted that he may be ready to prolong his Lancashire career beyond the one-year deal agreed last month.

“It was nice to extend the contract and getting the captaincy might whet the appetite to knuckle down and play for another couple of seasons,” he said. “But I’ll wait and see. I’m no spring chicken any more.”

However, Law also said that at the start of the last two or three campaigns he had felt as fit as he had done at any time in his career and he rubbished suggestions that he might sit out one of next season’s one-day competitions.

“I can’t play cricket like that,” he said. “I want to play in every match I possibly can. I don’t want to be left out of any competition and I’m not going to stand aside in any game.”

Law also revealed that no decision had been taken on a vice-captain and that it was still an open question whether the side needed a second in command.

But he also emphasised the importance of Lancashire’s senior players fostering the development of the highly talented group of younger players at Old Trafford.

“We have some fantastic talent coming through in this cricket team,” he said.

“Paul Horton’s had a fantastic year but he’s about to embark on the toughest season of his life. Steven Croft also has a number of steps to take but in those two you see you can see a lot of potential not only as regards playing but also leadership and if the senior players can groom the youngsters, that’s great.”

Watkinson was also in optimistic mood as he looked forward to 2008 and beyond.

“It will be slightly different working with a captain who’s got a lot of previous experience but I think it will go well,” he said. “Stuart wants to take the team forward himself in many areas and I really welcome that. But it’s obvious that he’s not going to do the job for the next 10 years and it would be nice if a young successor came along who could act as an apprentice and take the same values forward.”