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Cricket CV: Enjoyed an illustrious career that saw him graduate from Cambridge University to England captain via Lancashire CCC, accumulating 115 Test caps and 7,728 runs (at 37.69) in the process. A stubborn right-handed opening batsman, he captained England on 54 occasions, being voted the Cricket Writers' Cricketer of the Year in 1990 and named one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year in 1991. Got unwelcome flak for the infamous "dirt in the pocket" incident but stood firm until a degenerative back condition forced his retirement in 2001. It had already curtailed a promising sideline in leg-spin that brought him more than 100 first-class scalps early in his career. Since then he has joined C4 as a commentator and continue to write for the Sunday Telegraph. Awarded OBE in 1997 for services to cricket.
Career highlight: Batting 643 minutes (the fourth longest in Test history) for 185* to deny South Africa a seemingly nailed on victory at Johannesburg in 1995-96.
Extraneous: A big Manchester United fan (his father was on the club's books as a youngster) although this won't endear him to executive producer and Arsenal devotee Gary Franses, he also has a deep passion for horse racing and betting, became a father for the first time a couple of years ago, and also squeezed in (or should that be out?) his autobiography 'Opening Up'. It's not bad, actually.
Most likely to say: "Has anyone got the Racing Post?"
Least likely to say: "That Ray Illingworth, he's like a brother to me"
Not to be confused with: A racing pundit.
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