Graham Gooch joins England casualty list

THE headlines will be about Graham Gooch, no longer England's batting coach, but, really, the decision was about Alastair Cook.

England skipper Alastair Cook says he wants to continue working with Graham Gooch despite playing a key role in axing his mentor from the post of England batting coach.

THE headlines will be about Graham Gooch, no longer England's batting coach, but, really, the decision was about Alastair Cook.

Shorn now of Gooch and Andy Flower, two formative influences during his early years at Essex, and also of some key players from the Andrew Strauss era, the hope is that Cook can begin to stamp his authority on the England team.

Although the decision was a collective one, it fell to Cook to tell Gooch that they had decided to move on, to “freshen things up” in Cook's words, and as friends of long standing the England captain would not have wanted it any other way, no matter the awkwardness of the situation. Although disappointed, Gooch, for his part, remained loyal to Cook, as he always has been. It was a grown-up, mature parting of ways.

Gooch has helped to mould Cook into the world-class batsman that he is. He has been a profound influence and sounding board, about batting, captaincy, cricket and life.

Cook's gluttony for runs, no matter the nature of the opposition nor the importance of the match, and his pragmatic professionalism are drawn directly from the Gooch batting manual. That is unlikely to change; habits of a lifetime are deeply ingrained.

Why, then, the decision to remove Gooch from having a direct, day-to-day involvement with the team, even though he may retain a more informal, consultancy role with those players keen to retain his services? The implosion in Australia looms large, and before that even, part of which points directly at Gooch, given the failure of the batsmen to muster first-innings totals worthy of the name. Cook and Ian Bell were disciples; others less so, however. Gooch's influence was on the wane.

So he joins a casualty list that includes Jonathan Trott, Graeme Swann, Kevin Pietersen and Flower, as well as others, such as Geoff Miller and Hugh Morris who stepped down before the scale of the crisis had become apparent. With Angus Fraser and Mick Newell joining Peter Moores at Lord's yesterday to pick the first squad of the summer, English cricket, if not the England team judging by those selected, suddenly has a very different feel.

But Gooch has had a good run. He will be 61 in July. Batting does not really change, and knowledge never dies, but sometimes a new, fresh voice is needed. Gooch is two, maybe three, generations removed from the present players, and the younger ones may be able to relate more easily with someone more attuned to the modern game. Graham Thorpe and Mark Ramprakash are alternatives, and it is Thorpe who will travel to Aberdeen next week for the first international of the summer.

The feeling is, though, that Cook, along with Peter Moores, the head coach, will look to reshape the way the backroom staff operate. There may be a further reduction in numbers, with Richard Halsall looking vulnerable now that Paul Farbrace, the assistant coach, has effectively taken his position, as well as Bruce French, the wicketkeeping coach (how many former wicketkeepers does a team need?), and Mushtaq Ahmed, the spin coach, redundant since there are no candidates upon whom he can impart his wisdom. The impression in Australia was of a backroom team that had become too bloated and influential, so allowing players to be insulated from their failings.

It is likely that Moores will still employ an array of specialists in future, but mainly on preparation days before internationals. David Saker, the bowling coach, is under contract until 2015 and he is likely to remain in situ during games. That apart, though, the players will have to be more self-reliant. Who knows, the batsmen might even have to throw to each other before the match.

There will be no more greybeard Gooch, shuffling along with his “dogwalker” in tow, ready to serve. All things come to pass, and Cook will be better served by having fewer but more varied voices in his ear. Goodbye, then, but not good riddance — Gooch has been a remarkable servant of English cricket.

The Times