Gubby Under Pressure

send Warner, and if they did appoint him and he declined, it would look as if he was too frightened to go back. As a member of the Selection Committee, Warner clearly had the opportunity to convince his fellow members that some face-saving was required. Hence, before making the appointment, the selectors sent a recommendation to the main Committee: ‘Having regard to the difficult position occasioned by the bowling controversy during the 1932/33 tour, the management of the forthcoming tour should be placed in the hands of a manager who has not previously visited Australia’. So Warner and MCC were off the hook. No one could accuse the club of making an insensitive appointment or brand Warner a coward for refusing to go back and face the music. Having got that problem out of the way, even though the difficult position referred to had been largely brought about by Warner’s inability to exercise the authority given to him by the MCC at the time, the Selection Committee promptly created another. Ronald Aird, the current MCC Assistant Secretary was appointed tour manager, provided that arrangements could be made to cover his work while away from his desk for eight months. This proved to be far more difficult than envisaged and his place as manager was eventually offered to Captain Rupert Howard, the Secretary of Lancashire County Cricket Club since 1932. A career Army officer before retirement in 1930, Howard had played a few games for Lancashire between 1922 and 1933, but had never toured or managed a touring side before. At least Australia had nothing to hold against him and his administrative skills were expected to provide the support that Allen would need. Vice-captain vacancy Once a team had been chosen, it would was customary for MCC to announce the appointment of a vice-captain, as well as a touring party selection committee to act in place of the club’s Cricket Selection sub-Committee that remained in London. No such announcements were made in the summer of 1936. According to the minutes of a meeting held by the sub-Committee at the Carlton Club on Sunday, 9 August, a bizarre decision was made: ‘In view of the fact that the appointment of a vice-captain might under certain circumstances introduce difficulties during the progress of the tour, it was decided to make no appointment but to empower the captain to appoint a deputy, as circumstances might dictate.’ What ‘difficulties’ did they expect? Who would experience those ‘difficulties’? What ‘certain circumstances’ could occur and why? MCC were not about to start considering professionals as suitable candidates for vice-captain, so the only ‘difficulties’ that might arise would be between the amateurs Farnes, Robins and Holmes. Farnes could be ruled out as he was too young and inexperienced to step up into leadership, so we are left with Robins and Holmes. Had Allen convinced the committee, once Holmes had been chosen, that he did not want to get into the crossfire between the two county captains if one resented the appointment of the other. By keeping his options open, Allen Preparing for the tour 12