10 Wednesday 13th September, 2006 Gatlin Captain Flintoff can hearing ‘not until inspire England 2007’ by Derek Pringle the hulking figure of Andrew Flintoff, Michael Vaughan, yet both are impres- England play the extra batsman in the rather than Andrew Strauss, to lead sive characters. Flintoff inspired a fine Tests, which is how they beat Pakistan strong, imposing captain is essen- England’s attempt at retaining the win in Bombay last March, while this summer, or the extra bowler, which tial in Australia, which is why Ashes this winter. Strauss has just beaten Pakistan in the is how they beat the Aussies last year. AEngland’s selectors have chosen Both men remain secondary to Tests and drawn the one-day series. If Flintoff, Harmison, Matthew Cool, rational analysis would proba- Hoggard and Monty Panesar make up bly have favoured Strauss (he is fit, win- the spearhead, and Mahmood backs ning games and his batting has bloomed then up, there is room for another spin- under the extra responsibility), though ner and two pace bowlers. With Giles Flintoff ’s iconic status makes him some- not certain to play a part in the one even the Aussies respect. Champions Trophy, Middlesex’s Jamie The main worry with Flintoff, who is Dalrymple looks the safer bet. expected to travel to the Champions So too does Jon Lewis. His ability to Trophy in India as a batsman, is that his do the job despite frustrating periods on immediate priority must be to regain fit- the fringes has much to recommend it, ness and form. It may prove a formality, as does his accuracy. His only problem, but the all-rounder can only be pro- and it is one that afflicted Hoggard last Justin Gatlin nounced properly ready when he can time in Australia, is that their 78mph bang out 20 overs a day on Australia’s offerings look rather friendly when they The lawyer for World and Olympic 100m bone-hard pitches. don’t swing, something Kookaburra champion Justin Gatlin says she does not In the absence of Simon Jones and balls are not famed for. expect his arbitration hearing on doping given the increasing vagaries of Provided that concerns over Marcus charges to be held this year, BBC Sport report- Stephen Harmison, Flintoff ’s bowling Trescothick pulling out of the ed on Monday. will be crucial. If you had to pick one Champions Trophy are not serious, the The 24-year-old American is facing a ban factor that contributed above all others batting picks itself. Stress-related illness to England’s Ashes win last summer it is not something you can place a recov- of up to eight years after testing positive for would be the bowling attack, a quintet ery deadline on, though he is adamant testosterone in April. that has never played together since. he will be ready for the Ashes. Gatlin and his lawyers are hoping the arbi- Australia’s formula for winning That leaves the spare wicket-keeper tration panel will either clear him or provide a Tests is to attack with the bat and then to act as understudy for Chris Read. much shorter suspension. choke opponents into submission with England have just seven days of match “I think the time frame for the hearing will accurate bowlers. It is a template that cricket before the Tests start and just be a little longer than you usually see,” said worked for 10 years until England’s one state match thereafter, so the days of Cameron Myler. bowlers upset the first part to such an taking a young shaver like “We now have more time to collect evi- extent that they failed to pass 400 runs Worcestershire’s Steven Davies, and dence to support our defences.” in any of the 2005 Ashes Tests. developing him, are past. In any case, The US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) Therein lies the England selectors’ Geraint Jones was probably promised a announced last month that Gatlin had accept- problem. Do they try to replicate that berth when he was dropped in August, ed the accuracy of its test results and agreed attack as far as possible by risking though his poor batting form for Kent his positive test constituted a doping violation. bowlers on the mend, or do they pick the since has not made it easy for the selec- Gatlin first failed a drugs test in 2001 when men entrusted with the job since, like tors. amphetamines were found in his samples at Sajid Mahmood and Liam Plunkett, still The idea of having a players’ holding the USA Junior Championships. feeling their way at Test level? pen based at Paul Terry’s academy in But it was accepted that medicine he had Most of the players had their med- Perth, where up to five back-up players been taking for 10 years to control attention- icals at the Cricket Academy in will be based (Giles, Anderson and deficit disorder was the reason for the failed Loughborough yesterday. No doubt there test. was medical guidance on Flintoff, Robert Key could be three of them), probably owes much to the British Gatlin was suspended for two years, but Harmison, Ashley Giles and James the world governing body the IAAF reinstated Anderson, though the dangers of taking Lions, whose squad contained at least two teams-worth. But the temptation, him after one year. half-fit players on tour, as England did Under the World Anti-Doping Agency four years ago to Australia, cannot have especially if things begin badly for England, will be to see those players as (Wada) code, a second positive test should been forgotten so soon. Medical advice constitute a lifetime ban unless the athlete can was flawed then and was flawed in the alternatives rather than simply replace- ments for injuries. produce a compelling reason to have it diagnosis, and prognosis, of Vaughan’s reduced. recent knee problems. Perth is distant enough from most of Myler added that Gatlin’s legal team had Taking Flintoff and Harmison is the tour not to impinge on the oneness yet to file for an arbitration hearing but that evi- acceptable as both can play dominant of the chosen 16, but close enough for roles. But Giles and Anderson have replacements to fit in quickly. Yet news dence to help her client’s defence was still played so little cricket of late to pick that Vaughan is also to be based there being gathered. them would create uncertainty from surely threatens further uncertainty for “But we definitely will be filing for arbitra- within. both team and captain. tion. It’s just an issue of timing. We are trying to uncover all of the stones and look at all of the Flintoff: The man to lead England against Australia this winter The timing of Flintoff ’s readiness to (C) The Telegraph Group, bowl flat out will dictate whether London, 2006 possibilities,” she said. Roddick rises four spots in tennis top 10, Sharapova up one Sharapova proves At least Andy Henin-Hardenne in the dar year, Roddick moved Roddick can say he’s No. 1 final, only the eighth time up to third, behind in the United States a woman beat both of the Federer and Nadal. The again. top two players at a top eight players qualify Roddick’s runner-up Grand Slam. for the Masters Cup in finish to Roger Federer at Henin-Hardenne Shanghai, China, from her worth the U.S. Open moved him would have overtaken Nov. 12-19; Roddick was from No. 10 to No. 6 in the Mauresmo by winning outside the top eight 2001 would doubt her grit and deter- ATP rankings on the final. before the U.S. Open. by Piers Newbery The timing could not have been better for mination to be the best. Monday, ahead of fellow Roddick got a big In the ATP rankings, Maria Sharapova. Her well-documented journey, American James Blake, boost by reaching Federer and Nadal are Victory at the US Open came just weeks aged nine, from Moscow to Nick and also put him in posi- Sunday’s final a year followed by Ivan Ljubicic after a report said that the 19-year-old Russian Bollettieri’s famed academy in tion to qualify for the sea- after losing in the first of Croatia, David was the highest-earning tennis player in the Florida, and subsequent two-year son-ending Masters Cup. round at the U.S. Open. Nalbandian of Argentina world - higher even than Roger Federer. separation from her mother, tough- Blake, who lost to Following a long, poor and Nikolay Davydenko Federer in the quarterfi- With a lone Grand Slam victory to her name ened her up. run of results until last of Russia, who rose to No. nals, slid from No. 7 to back in 2004 at Wimbledon, and having lost in And with her father and coach Yuri month, Roddick - who 5 from No. 6 by reaching No. 8. Federer’s third con- five successive Grand Slam semi-finals, there Sharapov behind her she won ended 2003 at No. 1 - the U.S. Open semifinals. secutive U.S. Open title was a feeling she might have already reached Wimbledon two years ago and made it briefly dropped out of the In the WTA rankings, kept him comfortably at the limit of her potential. to number one in the world, albeit top 10. No. 1, ahead of Rafael Mauresmo, Henin- On-court potential, that is, because without briefly, last year. Entry rankings, Nadal. Hardenne and Sharapova a racquet in her hand her earning power was “When I was working my way to the which determine seed- Maria Sharapova rose are trailed by Kim going through the roof.