Went from bagging a pair against Australia on debut to becoming England's most prolific run scorer in test cricket ever. So some might think it strange that this English cricket writer classes Gooch as a zero.
Let's make it clear then that we don't doubt Gooch's class as an opening batsman, although his perpetual struggles against Terry Alderman would suggest otherwise. We still remember that magnificent 154 not out against West Indies at Headingley in 1991, when he carried his bat and effectively won the the test. Nor do we denigrate the fact that his test career spanned nearly 20 years.
No, Gooch is a zero for us mainly because of his persecution of David Gower when Gooch was England captain. You see, Gower was our favourite cricketer at the time (see Heroes: David Gower) and Gooch's refusal to understand that not everyone needed to run around a cricket field twenty times to prepare for a test match effectively ended Gower's test career at least two or three years early.
Gooch also loses marks for being part of the Essex mafia, for frequently refusing to tour with England, and worst of all, for turning his back on his country to take the South African Rand when he led the rebel tour of 1982.
What is the Essex mafia?
Posted by: nick Marks | Sunday, May 29, 2011 at 12:55