By Oliver Brett

Darren Gough's omission from the one-day squad to tour India almost certainly ends the international career of one of the best fast bowlers England has ever produced.

I still want to be playing some form of cricket when I'm 50; I'm sure some village pub team will have me Darren Gough More: Exclusion upsets Gough

Thanks to reality television, he may be more famous now for his foxtrot and tango than his yorker and slower ball.

But it was his talents at hurling the red leather sphere that first propelled him into national reckoning back in 1994, as a 23-year-old tearaway quick with an attitude.

And he is definitely not going to copy Phil Tufnell and cash in on the success of winning a TV reality show by retiring from the sport.

"I love cricket and I love sport. The reason I wasn't selected for the India tour was purely because I didn't go to Pakistan," he told BBC Sport.

"I made a decision to spend time with my children instead of going to Pakistan.

"I wasn't going to spend all day sitting in the house so that's why I went on Strictly Come Dancing.

"I had a wonderful time there. It's one of the best 10 weeks I've ever had and I don't regret it one bit."

Gough is likely to retire with 90 more one-day international wickets than any other England bowler, 235 at an average of 26.11 from 157 matches.

MOST ENGLAND TEST WICKETS Ian Botham 383 wkts at 28.40 (102 Tests) Bob Willis 325 at 25.20 (90 Tests) Fred Trueman 307 at 21.57 (67 Tests) Derek Underwood 297 at 25.83 (86 Tests) Brian Statham 252 at 24.84 (70 Tests) Alec Bedser 236 at 24.89 (51 Tests) Andrew Caddick 234 at 29.91 (62 Tests) Darren Gough 229 at 28.39 (58 Tests)

And he is seventh on the list of England Test wicket-takers, with 229 at 28.39 each.

He is the last of the generation of England cricketers who pre-date Duncan Fletcher's tenure as England coach, which began late in 1999.

He made his name the hard way - before the advent of central contracts and before a proper management structure was in place to look after the players.

Six years after his debut, with those pieces of the puzzle in place, he reached his peak, winning two man-of-the-series awards, at home against the West Indies and then in Sri Lanka.

His performances on those occasions were instrumental in winning England four series in a row.

He even brought out the best in Andrew Caddick, his notoriously mercurial sidekick who shunned the limelight as much as the 'Dazzler' revelled in it.

A knee injury, which required surgery on four separate occasions, forced him to retire from Test cricket in 2003.

But he continued as one of the best bowlers in the world at the end of a one-day international, his arsenal of slower balls and other variations continuing to grow.

Goughie appeals in his first Ashes tour, back in 1994-95

If cricket ever puts on a veterans tour then Gough would be England's captain for many years to come, his passion for the game unquenched.

"The way I'm going at the moment, if I could I'd play for another five years," he said.

"I still want to be playing some form of cricket when I'm 50. I'm sure some village pub team will have me.

"I've been so lucky to have had 15 years of playing. It's been a hobby more than a job.

"So many cricketers retire and say they'll never pick up a bat again. I can never understand that."

He will, in theory, have a quiet few weeks on his hands now until pre-season training begins.

"I don't really know what I'll be doing for the next few weeks but it will be good to spend time with my kids," he said.