Agendas don't worry Key

7 May 2008

Robert Key © Getty Images

Captain Robert Key will welcome an England Lions side attempting to pursue personal agendas in front of the watching selectors as they try to undermine New Zealand’s build-up to the opening npower Test.

The Kent batsman has been given the job of leading England’s next best group of cricketers against the tourists in their final four-day warm-up match prior to the opening Test at Lord’s next week.

Should there be any slip-ups by England’s Test side in the coming weeks, several members of the Lions will be the first considered as their replacements, leading to a potentially tense team environment over the next four days at the Rose Bowl.

But despite leading a side who are all effectively rivals for senior recognition, Key believes it can only be good for his side if they are all out to force their claims for a Test call-up.

“Cricket is a game where if people have their own agendas, as long as it’s for themselves to do well then that’s pretty easy to captain,” said Key.

“If I’ve got 10 other guys out there desperately trying to get as many runs and wickets as they can for themselves then that’s going to make my job much easier as captain.

“Personal agendas I don’t think are too bad as long as they’re all for a successful agenda rather than someone trying to make it hard work for you.”

With some, if not all, of the selectors expected to be in attendance for the match, it is a golden opportunity for Key, Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara to push forward their claims should England’s top order continue to mis-fire as they did during the winter.

Matthew Hoggard has hit early season form © Getty Images

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The same applies for the Lions’ strong attack with Matthew Hoggard, who has claimed 10 wickets in two first-class matches for Yorkshire this summer, and Chris Tremlett both straining to earn a recall.

Supporting them will be Durham seamer Graham Onions, regarded by many as the next best bowler in line, and Gloucestershire’s Steve Kirby while Graeme Swann and exciting Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid will be competing to provide another slow bowling option.

“The great thing about having Hoggy is that I’m the captain of the bloke who’s going to be desperate to show what he can do,” said Key.

“It’s a great time for him to make sure he can come out here and have a great session with the ball and then he’s got a great chance of playing.

“It’s always good to play them (the tourists) in this part of the year, especially going into the first Test because you’ve got a great stage to stake your own claims personally and you can also do a little bit for England.

“England had a tough time this winter, they managed to win the series, but this is a good time for an England set-up to really stamp their authority on this team.

“The senior guys didn’t have the winter they would have liked. They would have liked to have done better but that does create opportunities for other people but it will depend on the guys playing in the first Test.

“They’re the ones who have got the job at the minute and if they go out and score runs it will be harder for us but if they don’t then it will be easier for all the batters waiting in the wings.”

Having been overlooked last season for the Lions, it is also a welcome opportunity for Key to break back into the set-up three years after playing the last of his 15 Tests in South Africa.

“There’s been added importance put on it above county games and for me personally to be back in the England set-up whether it’s the full-side or the Lions is actually quite a big thing,” he added.

“When you’ve been out in the wilderness you start wondering at times whether that’s it for me with England but you always have that hope and it’s nice to be back here captaining the side.”