THERE used to be a cricket adage that was prevalent and relevant - and possibly still remains so in the deepest areas of the Broad Acres.

The saying went: “A strong Yorkshire means a strong England.”

However, just as England prepare to launch into their World T20 campaign this very day, the time-honoured homily may have a twist to it, namely “a strong Yorkshire means a strong... every other bloody country”.

Now that the precocious batting talents of White Rose boundary-boomer Joe Root have been denied the three lions by his broken thumb, depriving the national team too of his valuable sideline of spin bowling, England’s chances of being crowned champions in Bangladesh look far more remote.

The only vein of Yorkshire left in the England line-up is Tim Bresnan, a yeoman performer for whom enthusiasm runs through him like a seam of zeal, but whose match-winning ability often goes awol in the shortest form of the game.

But Tykeso-philes need not worry.

They are likely to still have a major say in the outcome of the World T20 which will span the next 15 days climaxed by the final in the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Sunday, April 6.

There’s a scattering and a smattering of Yorkshiretinged influence right through t’tournament.

Take South Africa.

Heading their batting is the brilliant David Miller, who dazzled while on Yorkshire duty last season.

Cited by many observers as the best T20 batting talent currently operating in the world game, a Miller at his most majestically malevolent could be the Proteas’ biggest asset.

Meanwhile, over in the camp of the old enemy, that cock-a-hoop colonial corps of Australia, there is a double nod to echoes of both past and present Yorkshire.

The baggy-capped brigade are on the ascent of a new renaissance coinciding with the appointment to the coaching position of Darren Lehmann, the South Australian, who spent a decade at the core of the White Rose county’s team from 1996 to 2005.

Lehmann has wrought a transformation of the Oz ranks in the coach’s own pugnacious image.

They have gone from Ashes zeroes to heroes, harnessing that about-turn so as to hint at a successful short-form sequence over the next few weeks.

And out in the middle midst is none other than propulsive ball-pelter Aaron Finch, who has carved out a crashing reputation as a serial run-gatherer in the Indian Premier League.

Now annexed for the coming domestic county season by Yorkshire, Finch could find the World T20 to be the perfect arena to demonstrate just what’s in store this summer for those boasting White Rose membership.

However, for all the fireworks that could flare from the respective willow-wands of Miller and Finch, the Yorkshire way may be most felt in the T20 extravaganza by someone who has recently left the county.

Paul Farbrace was up until this summer an integral figure in the Yorkshire coaching team under the leadership of current first-team coach Jason Gillespie.

But Farbrace left to take up the post of coach of Sri Lanka, the world’s top-ranked T20 titans. It is his astute guidance that is poised to come to the fore in a tournament, where conditions will surely benefit those nations most used to them – Pakistan, India, and naturally, Sri Lanka.

So while a strong Yorkshire may not be reflected in the might of England, the country’s biggest cricketing county may still be able to bask in dazzling T20 shine.

 

Fame game

THIS week the findings of a poll derived from more than a score of different languages to discover the most famous person ever to inhabit the planet were revealed.

Based on an American university’s examination of data from references to Wikipedia sites in various countries, a “catalogue of fame” was topped by none other than Greek philosopher Aristotle.

Behind him were such figures as Jesus Christ, Leonardo da Vinci and Pythagoras.

However, can you imagine a top ten based solely on the past week’s sporting pages of England’s red tops?

At number one Jose Mourinho, 2 J Mourinho, 3 Senor Mourinho, 4 Chelsea manager, 5 self-confessed special one, 6 two-time Chelsea boss, 7 Fergie’s bezzie, 8 Portugal coach in waiting, 9 touchline extrovert, 10 big mouth strikes again.