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England Post-Gough

Wednesday, February 19 2003

No-one, outside the outrageously optimistic, is predicting an England Ashes upset this winter but there are signs for optimism in certain quarters. In Flintoff, Jones, Harmison and Tudor, England have a talented crop of quick bowlers who have already prospered alongside the more celebrated Caddick and Hoggard. The key in all of this is the absence of Gough.

Darren Gough when fit is a massive asset to England and a real challenge for any quality batsman to repel. However, it has been alarming to note England's almost clinging reliance on his fitness when bolder management's might see Gough as a bonus not the lynchpin to England's bowling. After all, he hasn't bowled for so long that assuming he would return to former glories is an assumption England cannot take.

For England fans, taking Gough to Australia when clearly unfit and injured has been one of the more mystifying decisions. Talk that he might be ready by the middle of the series smacked of a desperation to rely on a bowler whose creaking knees are far from a safe bet. Furthermore, replacing him with Tudor who has a medical record to rival Darren Anderton also might have raised eyebrows however predictable.

England have an impressive record without Gough and should drop this desire to pin their hopes on Darren being fit. True, England are short of world-class fast bowlers but there are a new generation that need to be tossed into the fire and brimestone of an Ashes encounter to test their mettle. Jones, Hoggard, Caddick and Harmison doesn't quite read like McGrath, Gillespie, Bichel and Lee but Fletcher needs to put some faith in his new breed and allow them to sink or swim.

Posted by John