Question Time

Voltaire -
putting the finishing touches
to his coaching manual

To the great top order batsman Voltaire is attributed the following observation, 'I disagree with your approach to the short ball but I will defend with my life your right to play it.'

Voltaire's words came to Fantasy Bob as he watched the BBC's Newsnight last Friday.  In a discussion on the week's riots, self styled eminent historian David Starkey played a number of inelegant hoicks to cow corner including a very ugly slash across the line in which he used the words 'white kids have become black.'  FB's eyes popped - this might well be the worst bit of batting he has seen for a very long time.  Fielders were so aghast that they struggled to return the ball to the keeper.

Starkey gets dressed
to visit Tottenham

FB questions the selection policy which brought Starkey to the crease - a specialist in the history of the Royal Family is not the first batsman he himself would chose to opine on the behaviour of inner city youth.   But FB has long wondered what the selection policy of the BBC is, for the Question Time XI features with monotonous regularity the same tired players leaning on their bats - not only Starkey, but Kelvin McKenzie, Melanie Philips, Douglas Murray, and Nigel Farage get more caps than their averages justify.  Presumably they are chosen to quicken the scoring in the middle overs, but they have the effect of sending FB to bed, so unimpressive is their shot selection.  Even Voltaire might question whether he should be required to bowl at them.

Ruined by limited overs players

The Question Time XI is well past its sell-by-date, once it inspired cricketers the world over, now it rarely compels.  Where it was once a Test Match, it is now trying to be the IPL.

Let's change the skipper and refresh the middle order.  FB's plea to the selectors is to leave these tired hacks behind.  Elegant stroke play and clever accurate bowling is what is required - be it right or left handed over or round the wicket.  Swishing across the line and bowling beamers by the Starkeys, McKenzies or Philips is just not cricket.  Even Voltaire would agree with that.