Guys,
In the UK it may have been changed. Generally speaking headings (not tracks) are used by the controller to maintain separation from other acft in the terminal or other airspace. If the controller has the picture then he would know that there is a crosswind and where that heading should take the acft concerned. A GOOD controller would always specify the heading to fly as a safeguard against a pilot trying to figure out what the controller meant, pilots should fly the plane and obey the instructions given rather than trying to work out what the controller has said or is trying to do. Otherwise, it just makes the job that much harder