Caddick lashes out at flat pitches

	Andrew Caddick: not happy with the state of Taunton's wicket © Getty Images

At the age of 39, Andrew Caddick has finally admitted that his England days are over, but that hasn't stopped him having a go at the ECB for a flat-pitch policy that, in his opinion, is damaging the Test side's prospects against a strong South African batting line-up this summer.

On the first day of South Africa's tour match against Somerset, Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis both made big hundreds in a total of 455 for 3, while Caddick - in only his third first-class outing of an injury-plagued season - was the pick of a beleaguered attack with 2 for 105 in 23 overs. But afterwards his pleasure at getting through an arduous day was tempered by frustration at the lifeless wicket on which he and his team had been asked to bowl.

"I'm pleased personally, but again it was hard work at Taunton which disappointed me," he said. "I know there's an ECB directive that says we must produce flat wickets for the opposition, but in my opinion that's a load of rubbish. These guys want to come here and prepare for Test cricket and they should be playing on the best wickets in England, on wickets that are bowler-friendly to make sure they don't get any advantages prior to Test match cricket."

"It dumbfounds me what the ECB is talking about concerning these wickets," said Caddick. "South Africa are a damn good side, but if England can get on top of them, not only in the Test matches but with the county sides against them, that can be of benefit to the English cricket team. We should be working them over hard, because if we went back to South Africa there'd be green seaming wickets to make sure our English batters never got a run."

That was most definitely the case on England's last tour of South Africa, in 2004-05, when Charl Langeveldt and Somerset's own Charl Willoughby combined in swinging conditions at Potchefstroom, as South Africa A beat England by seven wickets in their solitary warm-up before the first Test. Willoughby, however, was one of six regular first-team players missing from Somerset's line-up, which somewhat undermined the force of Caddick's argument.

Caddick, however, didn't see it that way, especially with Somerset in hot pursuit of their maiden County Championship title. "We've got a hectic summer, and we've just come back from the Twenty20s," he said. "I'd love to have a situation where we played ten matches a year and could put out a strong side against the tourists, but it's non-stop and players need resting. If I'd started a full season I wouldn't be playing either. But if you produce friendly wickets, your youngsters go in with a bit of help, and they can step up to the plate against international sides."

Instead, Somerset's youngsters were put to the sword, not least by Amla, whose 172 broke Tip Snooke's 101-year-old record for South Africa against Somerset. Even so, he was jokingly disappointed not to have gone on to reach a double-century, which demonstrated just how easy the conditions for batting had been. "It was a very good toss to win, on a flat wicket that was much slower than I expected. When you first come in it takes a bit of time to adjust and get used to it, but it was pretty favourable for the batsmen. I think before any Test you want to be playing against quality opposition, but I thought they bowled pretty well, even though the scoreboard doesn't suggest it."

Somerset struck only two notable blows all day, and Caddick was the instigator of both - first when Neil McKenzie was trapped lbw by the first ball of the match, and then in the closing overs, when Kallis was pinned on the elbow by the new ball and forced to retire hurt. "The day started well then all went bad from there," said Caddick, who was typically unrepentant about the injury afterwards.

"My attitude always is, if you can't bowl them out, get them out by hurting them," he said. "It's as simple as that - get them out of the way. I'm sure he'll be alright, he's a strong lad, but as far as I was concerned, I was quite happy he left the field. To be leaving the field he'll be in pain, and if he's in pain, that's good for me. [In these conditions], you've got to work your arse off to get the best out of yourself, and the wicket."

Caddick intends doing that for a long while yet. After finishing the 2007 season as the leading English wicket-taker, he underwent a back operation over the winter and has barely featured since. Today's two-wicket haul was the most he's managed in any first-class innings in 2008.

"My England days are over, but I'm happy with what I'm doing," he said. "I was virtually pain-free which is nice, but I didn't have much rhythm today, which is a little annoying. These things will come, but now I'm definitely looking forward to starting my season. It's been a long time coming."