Cricket - Dexter is backing Adams

Adams, who will answer a charge of physically and verbally abusing Essex player and former Sussex team-mate Danny Law during a Benson and Hedges Cup match last month, could not have received more high-profile support than from his illustrious predecessor.

The 65-year-old former Sussex and England captain said: "If people do things wrong, I'm all for giving them a quick rap across the knuckles and getting on with it. I don't think there's any point making a big fuss. Things happen in the heat of the moment. It's a tough game and people sometimes step out of line. These days players get fined or suspended, but I don't see the point.

"If a player is found to have misbehaved, I believe in swift justice. Tell them the error of their ways and then let them get on with playing cricket."

Adams' approach to the game is very much in Dexter's mould. Lord Ted batted aggressively and with style.

The Sussex captain has always been positive and enthusiastic and sledging is seen as part of the county game.

Dexter, the MCC Cricket Committee chairman, has been investigating sledging and admits he is not aware of any incidents where it has gone too far.

He said: "I talk to umpires and they say it's not excessive. I talk to batsmen and they say there's a bit of banter. My only worry is, at club level and among youngsters, players will start to think it's a good idea.

"The committee I chair has just brought out the new laws and for the first time the spirit of cricket has been made prominent. It has always been part of the laws, but buried. Now they have been brought out and explained in detail.

"We're going to make this very well known and make sure every cricketer knows what's expected of him and what is not. That will hopefully put cricket on the right path."

Cricket, of course, was rocked on Wednesday when former Pakistan captain Salim Malik and all-rounder Ata-ur-Rehman were banned for life after the release of a long-awaited judicial report on allegations of corruption.

A further inquiry is being held in Cape Town on, June 7, after allegations against sacked South African captain Hansie Cronje.

Dexter, who was England's chairman of selectors for nearly five years, said: "I think the ICC has done a very good job and Lord MacLaurin was a leader in this by getting all the cricket nations' governing bodies to London to put the rule over Pakistan.

"They were told in no uncertain terms if they didn't produce the report and publicise it they would be out.

"That seemed to accelerate things and is the first time the ICC has got tough. Now it's just got to stay tough."

Match-fixing allegations were never aired during Dexter's years. It is strange the scandal has hit cricket at a time when players are well paid. It even baffles the ex-England skipper.

Ian Botham says cricket is rotten to the core and corruption goes all the way to the top, although not in England. He said someone, somewhere is doing a very food job covering this up.

Dexter said: "It's absolutely horrifying. I cannot understand it all all. Why do players need more money? It can only be put down to sheer greed.

"It'll be interesting to see what comes out of the South Africa enquiry. Strangely enough, not much has come out. No one's saying how many games have been fixed or haven't. I should think there's more smoke than fire, but nonetheless let's hope it stops here and now."

The legendary batsman was in East Grinstead on Friday opening Brambletye School's new sports hall. Dexter is a leading light in campaigning for greater government committment to sports activities in schools.

He was astonished to learn recently from the professional at Sunningdale Golf Club, of which he is a member, that some schools do not have any sport.

"Only the other week, he was telling me his boy had no opportunity to participate in a sport at school. His father had to arrange all his son's sport through local clubs, because he loves his cricket, golf and football. I think that's a crying shame.

"I think part of a youngster's education is to compete with other kids and learn some games. That stands them in good stead for the rest of their lives."

Cricket development has been a concern with many schools failing to field teams. That is in part down to poor government funding for sport in schools.

Dexter explained: "There's a lot of schools where cricket has fallen by the wayside, because it does need a lot of facilities. That costs money and of course it's absolutely fantastic that Brambletye has a new facility that is worthy of a county set-up."

As a child Dexter was lucky: "My headmaster at prep-school was an ex-Minor Counties player and very keen on his cricket. He rolled the pitch, took the games and taught us how to play. So Cyril Glover, thank you very much."

That introduction certainly stood him in good stead. He went on to score 21,150 first class runs, scoring 50 centuries and 205 half centuries, during a 12 year career that started with Cambridge University in 1956. For England, he scored 4,502 runs in 62 Tests.

And no prizes for guessing what was he considers his best achievement. Yes, you've got it, putting one over the Aussies.

He said: "I captained England when we played Australia in the Ashes series of 1962-63 and remember beating them at Melbourne in front of 30,000 people - and they didn't like it a bit. That was the greatest moment of my life."

That Ashes series was drawn 1-1 and featured Fred Trueman and Colin Cowdrey for England and Richie Benaud for Australia.

Dexter has been a cricketing correspondent for many years and is currently a feature writer for The Daily Telegraph and makes contributions to The Cricketer Magazine.

He confessed he does not follow his former club closely, but admitted: "I'm surprised they've got off to a poor start. It looked as though they had the makings of a decent side last year with a really good attack.

"Perhaps it's early days for them at the moment. They will come into their own because of the amount of young talent at the club.

"Although I don't keep in touch much nowadays, I would rather than won than lost."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.