Gough was hoping to test his right index finger in a match situation for the first time since it was broken by Allan Donald three weeks ago. But the England selectors, who met last night to choose the squad for Old Trafford, will be none the wiser.
``I have been netting and it was a bit sore,'' said Gough. ``But I won't know much more until we play.''
The testing unit, who must now examine every player at selected games, were given the names of 11 Somerset players which excluded Mushtaq as he was at home with a virus and duly tested them while they practised in the indoor nets. The Pakistani had recovered sufficiently yesterday to take his place in the Somerset team.
Peter Anderson, the Somerset chief executive, said: ``I pointed out to the drug unit that they could come back 24 hours later and test the actual team, but apparently that was not possible.''
The Warwickshire and West Indies captain, who boasts a Test average of 79.2 against England, has taken only 13 runs off Ireland at an average of 4.33.
Leg-spinner Connor Hoey had Lara caught for four in 1991, the great man was nearly into double figures four years later when he gave Neil Doak a return catch and his sixth-ball dismissal against McCallan's off-breaks extended his embarrassing record.