Gough's England career could be over

Darren Gough's summer of discontent was made complete yesterday when news that he required further surgery to his injured right knee ended any chance he had of playing in the Test series against India.

The 31-year-old Yorkshireman, who has been England's premier bowler over the last three years, underwent keyhole surgery yesterday in Sheffield in the hope that this will at last cure the cartilage problem sustained at the end of England's one-day tour to New Zealand in February.

The rest and rehabilitation required following this operation has also ruled Gough out of September's ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka and there now must be serious doubts as to whether he will play for England again, let alone take part in this winter's tour of Australia.

Reacting to the news Gough said: "This is a setback for me and it's very disappointing to miss so much cricket. But I know that I can come back from this and at least I now have 11 weeks to concentrate on getting myself ready to have one last crack at the Australians this winter."

Despite the hopes of the ever-optimistic Gough, who has already had two comebacks aborted this summer, England's selectors must be aware of the huge risk they would be taking if they were to pick him for this, the toughest of tours. Gough has played only one game of first-class cricket in the last 12 months, which he failed to come through successfully, and this fact will not encourage the selectors to press the gamble button.

The latest complications came when he played in the Roses match in July as he attempted to prove his fitness for the first Test against India. Having come through the one-day series without too much discomfort the outlook appeared good but the extra demands of the longer game proved too much for his knee.

Originally, Gough's specialist said that this was part of the healing process. It was to be expected, not a setback. However after going under the surgeon's knife for the third time this summer, because the swelling and discomfort failed to disappear, this has not proved to be the case.

The more realistic hope for England's highest one-day wicket-taker with 174 scalps, is a place in the one-day squad that tours Australia in December and January. By successfully coming through this tournament Gough could then gain World Cup selection and force his way into the Test side next summer against Zimbabwe.

One of the men deciding on Gough's immediate future is the England coach, Duncan Fletcher. He, as much as anyone, will know that on a Test tour as demanding as Australia passengers cannot be accommodated. Fletcher and the England captain, Nasser Hussain, will be aware that if they are to have any chance of regaining the Ashes this winter they need 16 physically and mentally strong cricketers on that plane in October. They will be looking for players who solve problems, not those with a big question mark hanging over them.

The words of the England coach will not have raised Gough's morale in a period of his life he would like to forget. His problems though have not just been on the field, he has also had to cope with the breakdown of his marriage earlier this year.

To start with, Fletcher was positive about his absence when he said: "It's very frustrating to lose Darren for such a long period as he is a terrific competitor and a great influence in the dressing-room."

In the more disturbing part of his statement, however, he went on to add: "The medical experts have told us that Darren has an ongoing knee complaint and that, in common with other professional sportsmen who have experienced similar problems, surgery is not guaranteed to completely cure it. At this stage, our medical advice is that a further operation to clean out the knee joint is the best option for Darren if he is to have a realistic chance of playing in the Ashes series this winter."

The good news for England is that they are currently coping admirably without Gough and Andrew Caddick, who is himself just returning from injury. But one man's loss is another man's gain and the Sussex fast bowler James Kirtley seems the likeliest beneficiary of Gough's misfortune and can look forward to a trip to Sri Lanka.