European football’s governing body, Uefa, last night scrapped restrictions on foreign players appearing in club competitions following a seven-hour meeting at a Heathrow hotel. They are badly in need of a confidence injection and Reeve’s innate bravado may just give them the boost they need.. These days his bowling lacks surprise, his fielding is weak and his strokeplay is limited, but he can be an effective player of spin bowling, able to play shots few would dare take on.It may of course work out well for England. Nevertheless, the England management’s continued inability to find out what constraints exist regarding replacements is inexcusable.Reeve, whose front and methods would be best suited to cruising the subcontinent’s teeming bazaars, may not be so effective on the flat pitches here.
“Reeve,” as someone once wrote of him, “is not a master of the game. Just a master of the situation.”Despite that, he has never been particularly convincing at international level where his sleight of hand with the ball appears obvious and his gambler’s instinct with the bat rarely comes off.So why did Reeve get a reprieve, particularly when the ruling on whether or not a replacement had to come from the shortlist of 18 – named in early January – has still not been cleared up?England claim that although names outside the shortlist such as Ronnie Irani, John Stephenson, Adam Hollioake, were discussed it was felt that a straight choice between Reeve and Mike Watkinson was probably the simplest option as it would not only prevent precious time being spent haggling with various World Cup committees, but also remain faithful to the original squad. What makes him unusual is that when the tension bites and the adrenalin floods, Reeve is able to keep a cool head and harness its surging power to positive effect.Four man of the match awards at Lord’s are a testament to that, though with only two others coming in 13 years, he is far from the one-day genius depicted by his supporters. It was a question Reeve asked too, not unreasonably, though its airing in the media was a foray Raymond Illingworth cared little for, coming from a player, who – unless all the signs in South Africa deceive – he and Atherton do not rate.Despite the misgivings, Reeve, who has played 27 limited-over internationals, arrives in Islamabad tomorrow, where he will stay before linking up with England on Friday, ready to resurrect an international career which had looked at an end.Reeve is one of those annoying extroverts who manages to squeeze all the juice from an unremarkable talent. Reeve, soon to be 33, was given only two of the seven games to stake his claim, and anyone who watched England’s lamentable performances last month might have wondered why. Cricket
reports from Peshawar
When a crisis looms, England’s selectors are almost as guaranteed to make a U-turn over policy as the country’s politicians, so Dermot Reeve, the Warwickshire captain, is now flying out to replace Craig White, who pulled a rib muscle during Sunday’s World Cup group match against the United Arab Emirates.Given his virtual non-participation in the one-day series in South Africa, the choice is superficially puzzling. Saturday 9 March: Aberdeen v Forfar Athletic or Airdrie; Caledonian Thistle v Rangers Sunday 10 March: Celtic v Dundee United..
They are not alone in that regard, as so are players, managers and club chairmen. People have to live with such pressure and adapt under the circumstances.”The Scottish League will fill the vacancy left by McGilvray, who was due to take charge of Stenhousemuir versus Stranraer in the Second Division on Saturday and a Premier Division match between Motherwell and Falkirk the following week.Another official, George McGuire of Bonnyrigg, is considering legal action against the SFA after being downgraded to amateur status for his role as a linesman in the match between Rangers and Hearts in October.n BBC Scotland will show the Scottish Cup quarter-final tie between Celtic and Dundee United on 10 March, while Sky Sports will show St Johnstone versus Hearts on 7 March.SCOTTISH CUP QUARTER-FINALS Revised draw: Thursday 7 March: St Johnstone v Hearts. Resignations are not unusual over the course of a season, but perhaps it is indicative of the pressures faced by referees in the modern game.”They are under fierce scrutiny. “I can confirm a letter has been received giving intimation of his resignation,” the spokesman said.”The Association is sorry to receive it, as we always are in such cases. Young was criticised when he booked Gascoigne for celebrating a penalty award against Motherwell.Before Farry’s statement, an SFA spokesman said McGilvray’s decision to resign was a by-product of the “pressures of the modern game” and the heavy scrutiny of officials by the media. He said that he decided to give up after having to book Gascoigne for celebrating almost forced him to send off the England player later in the match.
