Thorpe eager to return to West Indies

by Julian Guyer

Thursday, February 26, 2004

GATWICK, England (AFP): Rising star, experienced player, outcast and senior statesman: Graham Thorpe has occupied a variety of roles during an England career spanning 83 Tests.

But now the Surrey middle-order batsman is looking forward to being a member of the first England side to win a Test series in the West Indies since 1968.

"I have always thoroughly enjoyed the cricket out there. They (the crowds) appreciate it when you do well and get on your back when you don't," Thorpe told AFP at the squad's team hotel here on the eve of their departure Tuesday. 

"It's one of those places where you want to be producing the goods," the left-hander added ahead of his third trip to the Caribbean.

Thorpe, 34, had to endure the very public collapse of his marriage, coming home early from several tours in a bid to salvage his relationship and agree access arrangements to his children.

Then, after saying he was available to go to Australia in 2002-03, he changed his mind and withdrew before the squad left.

It looked as if the selectors had lost patience with the talented left-hander when they left him out of the side for the start of last season's home series with South Africa.

But Thorpe was recalled for the final Test and marked the occasion with a hundred on his Oval home ground.

Included in the touring parties for the first half of England's winter programme in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Thorpe said his experiences had helped him put cricket in perspective.

"As you play longer you can become more philosophical. You realise it's still a game of cricket... the more often you get players relaxed the more often you are going to get better results."

But Thorpe, only one of three players in the England squad to have played Test cricket in the Caribbean - the others are fellow batsmen Nasser Hussain and Mark Butcher - insisted: "It's all very well to have experienced cricketers in your team but it's only if they produce the goods that it counts.

"There were plenty of times when I was a youngster that I scored runs," said Thorpe who made a century on his debut, against Australia, in 1993.

"Inexperience can be great as well because people then are fresh and facing new challenges. Sometimes it's good to go into the unknown."

Thorpe, whose 5,552 runs at an average of 42.06 mark him out as a consistent Test performer, also played down suggestions that this would be England's best chance to win a series in the West Indies since Colin Cowdrey's men triumphed there 36 years ago.

The West Indies have just been thrashed 3-0 in South Africa and their bowling attack lacks paceman of the class of Curtly Ambrose or Courtney Walsh.

But Thorpe said: "It's not really kidding me. I don't buy into it. If we don't play well we won't win in the West Indies.

"The West Indies at home, even when people have been writing them off, have given the Australians a run for their money and that's good enough for me. I certainly won't be under-estimating them.

However, Thorpe added: "If we can keep some of their top batsmen quiet and get on top of some areas of bowling I would back us to come home winners but it's going to be tough."

England start their four-Test series in Jamaica on March 11. 

Their last Test match there in 1998 saw the game abandoned after barely an hour's play because of a dangerous pitch, the first time a match had been stopped for that reason in Test history.

Thorpe, who was nought not out at the time with England 17 for three after barely 10 overs, recalled: "I faced the last ball. I was hit on the shoulder by Walsh. You could see so many balls misbehaving. It was like a coconut-shy. It was just a matter of time before one flew over your head or under your toes.

"I will always remember people diving in and out of the swimming pool by the Red Stripe bar and thinking 'I wish I was in there'."

  Back...

  Most popular articles: viewed, printed and e-mailed

  Printable version