Cricket: Gatting wants Gooch's advice

Mike Gatting will sit down with Graham Gooch and discuss the problems involved in combining a playing career with being a selector after confirming his interest in joining the England hierarchy yesterday.

The former England captain, who has successfully coached the A team around Australia, has been tipped as a possible candidate to join David Graveney and Gooch, the latter being the favourite to replace Raymond Illingworth as chairman on the selection panel next season.

"If I could do the job properly I would like to be a selector," Gatting said. "I wouldn't want to go into it half-cocked. If I could do it properly while still playing then perhaps, yes, but I'm not too sure how well you can do that.

"I would have to ask Goochie how hard he found it. It didn't seem to affect his cricket that much. It depends how much time you have as I find myself on a few committees back home, and to do those properly as well as other things, you could find yourself with too much on your plate."

If Gatting joined the selection panel he would be in the ideal position to have his say regarding a rule he believes could hinder the development of the teenage batsman, Owais Shah.

Shah, 18, will still be eligible to play for England's Under-19 side next season, despite having leapfrogged that level into the A team, and the rules dictate international fixtures must take precedence over county cricket.

"Common sense says he would learn more from county cricket than going back to the Under-19s," Gatting said. "I would love him to play for Middlesex as soon as he can to develop as a player."

England A's hopes of continuing their success on the tour were hampered by overnight rain and bad light yesterday as play was restricted to just 85 minutes on the third day of their match against Queensland at the Gabba. Resuming on 154 for 4, the home side added 41 runs for the loss of Jerry Cassell.

Third day of four; Queensland won toss

ENGLAND A - First Innings 230 (M A Butcher 72; B N Creevey 6-70).

QUEENSLAND - First Innings

(Overnight: 154 for 4)

M P Mott not out 29

J L Cassell c Hegg b Chapple 22

W A Seccombe not out 10

Extras (lb4, nb10) 14

Total (for 5, 75 overs) 195

Fall (cont): 5-176.

To bat: S A Prestwidge, B N Creevey, P W Jackson, S A Muller.

Bowling: Headley 9-1-30-0; Chapple 20-6-52-1; Ealham 5-2-16-1; Giles 9-3-25-0; White 14-4-31-2; Hollioake 8-5-20-1; Gallian 10-2-17-0.

Umpires: P D Parker and J F Torpey.