Lives in Cricket No 10 - John Shepherd

1981 On 9 June 1980 Kent’s Cricket sub-Committee had met and discussed the season so far, which at that early point was not looking good. A discussion about the playing staff for 1981 ensued and the committee’s minutes record that they were disappointed at the form of John Shepherd and Asif Iqbal and [Colin Page] stated that it was the intention to rest these two players and to give some of the younger players the opportunity of experiencing playing in the first eleven. Serious discussion was also given to the future of these two players … and it was agreed that the Chairman of the sub-Committee (Arthur Phebey) and Colin Page should discuss the question with the players concerned. Whether any such discussions ever took place is not recorded and Shepherd today cannot recall that they did. But although Shep continued to be selected for the remainder of the season Asif was, as Wisden records ‘ … side-lined … Thus the best side was not always selected and a certain amount of confusion and frustration was caused.’ 143 Asif weathered this storm so well that he actually recovered the Kent captaincy. But as far as Shepherd was concerned, and largely unknown to him, more sinister clouds were gathering. In the following sub-committee meeting in July it was recorded that ‘The Chairman also agreed to inform John Shepherd that his services would be required in 1981’, but there was no ringing endorsement of Shepherd forthcoming and no contract promises beyond the 1981 season. It was clear that the overriding emphasis of Kent’s strategy at the time was to encourage younger players and that it was quite possible that a ruthless approach to the continued employment of the long-serving Shepherd was in the minds of the committees. At the start of the 1981 season John Shepherd was unaware that his position was under any serious threat. On the contrary, his expectation was that in the years to come, as his first-team place began less certain, he would be asked to continue in a supportive and coaching role. It was not an unreasonable assumption. There was no more popular player on the Kent staff than Shep and none with his depth of experience. Combine this with a proven work ethic and an unconditional loyalty to the county that had employed him through most of his adult life and few at Kent would question that Shepherd had the potential to continue to make a contribution once his playing days were over. But, as far as Shepherd was concerned, that was to be some years away – he was as ready to play hard for Kent in 1981 as he always had been. Shepherd was not unaware that there had been some ‘mutterings’ about his position – committee rooms and dressing rooms are always gossipy and leaky places. A conversation with Brian Luckhurst had not been reassuring. Luckhurst was the Second Eleven captain and also the assistant to the Cricket Manager Colin Page. On Kent: The Final Years 103 143 Dudley Moore, Wisden , 1981.