Gough: I'm not back to square one

Stephen Lamb

June 26, 2002

Uncertainty remains over whether Darren Gough will appear for England during the NatWest Series against India and Sri Lanka.

England's premier fast bowler, who had hoped to return for the latter stages of the triangular one-day tournament, has suffered further knee problems this week following two operations on his right knee this year.

Gough missed a Yorkshire second XI fixture on Monday, but says it was aprecautionary measure and not a major setback.

Gough wrote in his Teletext diary: "The fact is I played on Friday and then for the Yorkshire Academy the following day, and when I woke up on the Sunday feeling sore.

"So as a precaution it was decided to rest me. I'm not back to square one. Despite having a sore knee on Monday after two games in two days, I still wanted to play for Yorkshire's Second XI against Nottinghamshire.

"But it was decided that it would be better if I sat out the game and rested rather than head straight on in like a bull in a china shop. So I didn't play, and everyone thought I was in serious trouble. The fact is I feel absolutely fine again now."

England take on Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge tomorrow in the first game of the series, and captain Nasser Hussain, having already lost Andrew Caddick to injury, is insisting he will not rush Gough back into action. But Gough insists that he is aiming for a one-day return over the next fortnight.

"I'm desperate to get back playing again for England after what's been a pretty frustrating start to the summer," he said. "I won't be involved in the opening matches of the one-day series against Sri Lanka and India but I'm hoping I'll be 100% fit at some point.

"But no-one's going to risk me. There's a big Ashes winter coming up and the series against India. I want to start playing now, but I'm being slowed down. I'm not 100% fit at the minute but I'm not far off."

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