Lack of man-management was manifest

It was not ever thus. Before Rehan Ahmed made his Test debut aged 18 years and 126 days, and took a five-wicket haul in Pakistan’s second innings in Karachi to seal a 3-0 series win in December 2022, the title of England’s youngest Test cricketer belonged to Brian Close. His experiences came at the opposite extreme to TLC.

According to a fascinating and highly relevant biography of Close, titled “One Hell of a Life – Brian Close, Daring, Defiant and Daft” by Stephen Chalke, it was not so much his Test debut, aged 18 years and 149 days, that was the problem. It passed by so quickly: his parents’ house in Rawdon inundated with journalists on the Sunday when the team was announced, his Yorkshire championship game ending on the Tuesday, followed by a two-day game against the Army in Hull, then he actually had a day off – a rarity in those days – before the third Test against New Zealand began on the Saturday at Old Trafford.

Close bowled his off-spinners – he was a medium-pacer too – economically in a Test always destined for a draw as it was scheduled for only three days. When he batted at number nine, his captain Freddie Brown – keen to bring on youngsters after the War – told him to “have a look at a couple then give it a go”, so he was caught third ball on the square-leg boundary. He was dropped alright, but there was no keeping Jim Laker out of the next Test at the Oval.

It was when he was selected for the tour of Australia in 1950-51 that the lack of man-management was manifest. In 1949, the season of his first-class and Test debut, Close had done the first-class double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets. In 1950 he played only four first-class games, owing to National Service. No Lions tours in those days, no winter training camps in the UAE. He was on the ship to Australia, and left to sink or swim.

‘I didn’t know how to conform’

Close was, in many ways, a forerunner of Stokes: “a magnificently built young man with a natural flair for all games played with a ball and most sports unconnected with them,” according to a journalist on board. In the ship’s pool he was the best swimmer, as Close soon knew. However, he admitted: “I was lacking in discipline in that I didn’t know how to conform.”

The pool on board had railings around it. Close decided to run and jump over them to access the water. “Cut that out, that’s far too dangerous,” ordered the England captain Brown. So Close stood on top of the railings to jump in.

Differences nowadays do not stop a young player being integrated within the squad. Close was quickly perceived as big-headed and bumptious – and he had a Yorkshire accent. “He was a really naughty lad on that trip, very full of himself,” the Nottinghamshire amateur Reg Simpson recalled. The idea that Close – surrounded by greats like Alec Bedser, Denis Compton and Len Hutton – was trying to hide his insecurity did not occur.

“As amateurs we were not allowed, or encouraged, to mix too freely with the professionals,” another amateur John Dewes told Chalke. “I did try to be approachable. But Brian had a very broad accent, and this did not help him.” No wonder England kept losing to Australia before the distinction between amateurs and professionals was abolished in 1962. What teamwork?