The Hindu : Gough is back

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 20, 2002

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Gough is back

By Ted Corbett

LONDON June 19. Darren Gough, rosy of cheek and full of figure, returns to the England squad for the one-day international cricket series against India and Sri Lanka which begins next week.

"He's a stone overweight,'' said two former Test players almost in chorus as they watched him practise at Old Trafford during the third Test and certainly there looks to be a bit more flesh than a strict Army physical training instructor would want on a recruit.

There are several reasons for Gough's surplus weight. He is a naturally big lad, even if he is no more than 5ft 9in, he has just spent eight weeks recovering from an operation to his right knee — which may keep him out of the side for the first two matches — and his recent decision to leave the marital home cannot have helped since it was his wife Anna who first insisted that a diet ought not to consist of hamburgers and beer.

At his peak from 1996-2001 Gough was a lean lad, as fit as any cricketer and as bright a fielder as any fast bowler.

His problems were with his temperament, his belief that he was the new Fred Trueman and his courting of publicity. Now, with 228 Test wickets to his credit as well as 168 in one-day internationals, he is, as he likes to remind people "England's premier fast bowler.''

At his best he is quick, direct, dominant, ready to explain a batsman's character to him on the pitch and exploit his deficiencies at the same time. England clearly wants him back as soon as possible.

Gough will be invaluable in the absence of Andrew Caddick who may be out for two months with an inter-costal injury, the worst possible news for any quick bowler.

If Gough is in form he will certainly influence the results of several of the tri-series matches as England attempts to put up a show that will place it among the favourites for the rapidly approaching World Cup. If not, he may be an expensive luxury. But, as it showed when Caddick bowled only five and a half overs during the third Test, England now has reserve strength.

It has surprisingly left Craig White out of its 15, will hope for more from Andrew Flintoff who has been unable to score runs or take many wickets in the Test series and bring back James Kirtley, a whippy bowler now cleared of all the nasty allegations about his action.

The batting line-up is strong and I hope that Michael Vaughan, who briefly showed that he can match anyone shot for shot as he and Marcus Trescothick flayed the Sri Lankan bowling in the race to score 50 from 30 balls and win the third Test, will be given a chance. Like Mike Atherton, another misunderstood batsman, Vaughan is a fine one-day player, when he has the chance to shine. He is more likely to find that he is left to fester on the sidelines.

Spin is obviously going to play a part which is why both Ashley Giles, the slow left-armer who took the last two Sri Lankan wickets at Old Trafford and the comparatively unknown Jeremy Snape have been chosen. Snape is neither Harbhajan Singh nor Murali but his off spin has helped Gloucestershire to five successive cup triumphs and he is a reliable cricketer.

Ronnie Irani's good run of form, as well as Essex's place in the final of the last Benson and Hedges Cup, wins him a place at a level that has always been too much for him in the past.

As Essex captain he bats and bowls when he want to; in the England set-up he will have to wait his turn. Eleven of the 15 were selected for the one-dayers in India last January. Alex Tudor, Irani, Alec Stewart and Kirtley are added to make this a strong squad quite capable of reaching the final.

The squad: Nasser Hussain (captain), Marcus Trescothick, Nick Knight, Graham Thorpe, Michael Vaughan, Alec Stewart, Ronnie Irani, Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles, Matthew Hoggard, Darren Gough, Alex Tudor, James Kirtley, Paul Collingwood and Jeremy Snape.

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