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Gooch's 'sympathetic' ear

The Recall of Phil Tufnell to the England side, under Graham Gooch as coach, brings to mind an intriguing confrontation between the two before a one-day international against New Zealand some eight years ago. The question: Is it worth having 'courage practice' in the nets?

As last man in the nets before his debut in a World Series match at Perth, Tufnell found himself facing some Australian club fast bowlers, who had been making the batsmen duck and dive, and an early delivery cut back and duly hit England's newest tail-ender in the box.

According to Tufnell's account in his new autobiography Phil Tufnell: What Now? the bowler leant towards him and said: ``Get up, Tuffers, you f****** coward. There's another one coming.''

Tufnell decided he had had enough, thinking to himself: ``That's it. I'm not going to get killed or maimed just for the amusement of some Aussie b******s.''

Gooch, England's captain, saw all this and took steps to settle the problem in his own way. Tufnell recalls sarcastically: ``Gooch couldn't have been more sympathetic, or more understanding. 'Get back in the nets,' he said, and walked off.''

Tufnell refused and was duly fined. There must be sympathy for him, because Gooch was showing the sort of inflexibility and obtuseness that were to become a burden to England in subsequent years. On the other hand Gooch felt he was justified seeking the tightest discipline for the team's benefit.

Wasim Akram, Pakistan's fast-bowling captain, plays his second match for Smethwick in the Birmingham League today. Last Saturday in 18 overs he inflicted on West Bromwich Dartmouth numerous bruises, three wickets and a broken jaw.

All-rounder Rob Fenton, a Lloyds TSB auditor by profession, failed to avoid one of Akram's many bouncers and suffered a hairline fracture. He is due back in time for the return game against Smethwick.

Richard Cox, the Dartmouth captain, reflected: ``It was a fantastic experience for all of us. Rarely do you get someone at the peak of their powers at this level.''

The Would-be chip off the old block, Robin Martin-Jenkins, has escaped with a reprimand by Sussex and no further action from the England and Wales Cricket Board after his outspoken - or brutally frank - column in last week's Evening Argus in Brighton.

The Sussex all-rounder wondered whether a ``bunch of chimpanzees'' could run cricket more efficiently than the ECB, with reference to county cricket's occasionally illogical fixture programme.

Robin could not have gleaned the idea from his father Christopher, who never mentioned any form of Anthropoid ape when he was cricket correspondent of The Daily Telegraph.