DAVID Lloyd has many admirable attributes.

But one stands out as a key factor which will help make his appointment as England coach a success - the ability to be in the right place at the right time.

In most cases this has resulted in Lloyd skipping merrily down his career path and on towards the ultimate goal of shaping the future of England cricket.

It has recently, however, also provided Lloyd with the equally important quality of being able to wriggle off the hook.

There is little question that 'Bumble' is the right man for the England job.

There are, however, still questions he needs to answer.

The first, and most pressing, is his judgement of a player's capabilities.

This worry has been highlighted by his choice of Steve Elworthy as Lancashire's overseas player to replace Wasim Akram for one year.

It is still early days in the season but the South African has struggled at county level despite total commitment and enthusiasm.

His wayward bowling has been hammered in one-day cricket and his confidence has been shattered.

Eyebrows across Lancashire were raised when the signing of Elworthy was announced.

But Lloyd's part-justification, that other top class players were already tied to a county, was puzzling.

Bumble will be inwardly concerned about this particular legacy at Old Trafford, but he is no longer in the direct firing line.

A second question-mark hangs over Lloyd's motivational techniques.

The psychological theory behind Churchillian tapes is all well and good.

Whether top sporting stars should need such artificial stimulation is an entirely different issue.

But failure to motivate Lancashire's international stars towards the end of last season was one of the reasons a stunning start petered out into a disappointing finish to the summer.

And motivation is already a problem facing skipper Mike Watkinson and new coach John Stanworth.

One defeat and a draw, when two wins could so easily have left Lancashire sitting pretty at the top of the championship table, has left Mike Watkinson's men already off the pace.

The early signs of one-day success are already encouraging but the summer can drag on without a genuine interest in the title.

Selection from a full-strength squad is going to prove a headache for Watkinson.

One of the medium pacers will have to make way and that may have to mean biting the bullet and contesting Lloyd's judgement of Elworthy.

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