Gough: I'm ready to answer England SOS

Darren Gough has

responded to Sportsmail’s

revelations that he is being

considered for a shock

World Cup call-up with an

emphatic pledge that he

will be ready to respond to

his country’s call.

England are so concerned

at the paucity of the fast

bowling at their disposal, at

least before yesterday’s

emphatic victory over

Australia, that they have

sought and received ICC

permission to go outside

their nominated World Cup

30 when they announce

their final 15 for the

Caribbean on February 13.

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Gough is at the forefront of

their thoughts but they are

also looking at the claims of

James Kirtley and Ryan

Sidebottom from outside

the squad and Stuart Broad

from within.

"I’ve never given up and

never will give up," said

Gough yesterday here in

Sydney, where he is taking

part in a veterans’ beach

cricket tournament

involving legends from

England, Australia and the

West Indies.

"My original non-selection

was a misunderstanding

and that’s all forgotten

now. England have just

picked a 36-year-old

debutant in Paul Nixon, so

why shouldn’t they pick me

again at 36?

"The news has

come as a surprise but I’m

fit, ready and feel I can still

do a job for my country."

England have got

themselves in a mighty

pickle over Gough, firstly

saying that he had been

excluded on fitness grounds

before issuing a full apology

when he was in Brisbane

during the one-day series.

Then England wanted to go

with their younger bowlers,

now they do not seem so

sure. But the idea of Gough’s

selection received ridicule

from England legend Ian

Botham, who said: "Angus

Fraser is delighted. He’s

going up to Brisbane to

watch Darren Gough bowl in

beach cricket in his Speedos

to see if he’s good enough

for England. It’s a ridiculous

situation."

■YORKSHIRE are

preparing a recordbreaking

offer to try to lure

Gough back to Headingley —

possibly as skipper.

The move would make the

Essex paceman the highest

paid Englishman in domestic

cricket with a summer

salary of at least £130,000

should he choose to end his

career in his home county.

Yorkshire chief executive

Stewart Regan said: "We are

aware he has not signed a

new contract with Essex and

I am sure we would be

interested in talking to him."