Illingworth must mind his own business

Raymond Illingworth, the former chairman of England selectors, has been told not to interfere in the present selectors' business as they choose the man to captain England against Australia this summer.

The three selectors, David Graveney, Mike Gatting and Graham Gooch, will select a skipper over the next couple of weeks, with Mike Atherton the strong favourite. However, that has not prevented Illingworth from telling his successor, Graveney, to dispense with Atherton's services for the one-day internationals before the Ashes. Illingworth believes Atherton's leadership of the England side has "never been truly convincing", and that he should be replaced by Nasser Hussain, vice-captain on the winter tour, or Adam Hollioake, the A team skipper.

That advice brought an immediate rebuke from Graveney, who said: "Ray's got his view and I respect that. He's made a great contribution, but now the three of us have been appointed and it is up to us to find what is the right course to take.