Gubby Under Pressure

alive); 5-6 attend Amateur Athletic Club (Allen only, but a speech all right); 6-7.30 Cocktail Party (a lot of drinking by Allen); 8.30 Russian Ballet. I am going to go through with the whole thing, as I have already said, but Howard and I are going to make a full report on the whole subject when we get home, as in future everything must be submitted to MCC for approval. We have six nights in Melbourne the first time and I have only two free ones, Sunday and Tuesday. In Adelaide, we have six nights and I have only Sunday free.’ At least he could joke about it all at this early stage, but it would not be long before the reality of the demands would start to strike home. In his weekly letter of 3 November, Allen’s patience is already wearing thin. About to leave Adelaide he moans: ‘I have been very hard worked since I set foot in South Australia. We disembarked at Port Augusta and I had to make a speech at 7 o’clock in the morning. I made five in small towns on the way to Clare and three, admittedly two were very short, at the Clare races. I have so far made 24 since we landed at Fremantle, and that was only 22 days ago.’ He then repeats the timetable for his first day in Melbourne, which continues to irritate him, and confirms that he and Howard ‘are going to make a full report on all these blasted functions as there are way too many of them and gives a captain no chance at all.’ And, just to let his parents know that he isn’t agreeing to every demand from all and sundry, he reports that one man ‘wrote Howard quite a snooty letter this morning because I had refused to go and make a speech on the Friday night of the Test match here in January. I have just answered it and pointed out to him, nicely I hope, that I have come here to play cricket and, if I refuse something, it is no good writing to the manager and trying to bully me into it.’ After only five weeks into the tour and even before the Test matches have started, Allen writes from Sydney that he is already in need of some rest and recuperation. ‘I have been altogether too hard worked. No one ever gives me a moment’s peace and everyone seems to think that I ought to do just this or that little thing for them as it won’t take a minute.’ Unfortunately, Allen’s early decision to take sole responsibility for everything had not encouraged offers of help from Robins or Wyatt. ‘Robbie and Bob, both of whom are out of cricket, don’t do a damn thing to help, and I have had to play in every match as I know MCC don’t want a pro to captain the side. I am dead beat again tonight, after bowling with no luck at all today and have just spoken to Uncle Arthur and arranged to go to Moombara on Friday mid-day till Monday evening for a complete rest. If I don’t do that I feel I shall blow up.’ In effect, this meant he would miss the game in Sydney against the Australian XI, as Robins was expected to have recovered sufficiently from his hand injury to be able to step in as captain. But even from the peace and tranquillity of Moombara, Allen can’t forget his problems and writes to tell Warner of the troubles he has had to face alone, starting with: ‘I have been grossly over-worked’ and then going on to explain why: ‘Robbie’s and Bob’s injuries have given me a terrible time so far, as I have had to play in every match and do a lot of bowling as we have bowled so badly, as well as look after all the social side of the trip and be “nurse”.’ Then, right in the middle of his analysis of the team’s performances on the field to date, he slips in another cry for help, when he confesses that ‘I have often felt like lying Managing the show 25