Gooch in typical pose at the crease

Test Match Special summariser Graham Gooch was on hand to answer your e-mails during the third Test between England and South Africa.

The former England and Essex opening batsman represented his country 118 times, 34 as captain, between 1975 and 1995.

Gooch scored more runs for England than any other batsman - 8,900 at an average of 42.58.

That haul included a record innings of 333 at Lord's against India in 1990, a match in which he scored a world record 456 runs in total.

Gooch is at Trent Bridge behind the mic, taking a break from his "day job" as Essex coach.

BBC Sport Interactive's Paul Birch put a selection of your questions to Graham.

Listen to the full interview with Graham Gooch

Jeremy Jones, ARPS, Wales

Graham, when you played Test Cricket, would you have liked the idea of central contracts and being rested for large parts of a season?

No, I wanted to play the right amount of cricket. I was keen to play cricket between Test matches for Essex.

Anthony, Japan

Who was your favourite opening partner and why?

I had two in Test cricket who were both equally important. Geoffrey Boycott in the early stages of my Test career and Mike Atherton in the middle and end. They were equally great players for the England cause and I enjoyed batting with them both.

Nausheer, Wales

Why England does not have greats like you/Botham/Gower etc nowadays?

I'm not sure about that; Alec Stewart has been a great player for England, and Darren Gough ranks among the best England players ever. Michael Vaughan will not be disappointing to England fans over the years. He averages 50 in Test cricket and he's well on his way to becoming one of the most influential cricketers of his era.

Simon Tudor-Price, UK

Who was the fastest bowler you ever faced? And who was the bowler you least liked to face?

The fastest spell was by Patrick Patterson in Jamaica in 1986 on his Test debut. And the player who gave me the most difficulty in my career was Malcolm Marshall, who is one of the all-time greats.

R. Haris Naseem, USA

It seems to me that the older you got the better you were as a player. Was it a change in technique, or just that you developed a better understanding of the game with a cooler head?

Bit of both. When I got older I kept myself fit and experience came and told me that I had to change the way I played. I became less of strokeplayer and I matured with age.

Ryan Middleton, England

With England looking to replace retired Darren Gough, should they look to call up in-form Worcestershire bowler Kabir Ali after his 8-53 against Yorkshire?

I think he's got a good chance of playing Test cricket - he's done very well and been included in the Academy. I think he is one who will play Test cricket in the future.

Stephen Thornton, UK

Why can't our bowlers bowl line and length? Players like Angus Fraser and Martin Bicknell have always been underrated as force. Are we unable to pick a varied attack?

I think England have played poorly in the last few Tests. I do think the players who are playing are the right bowlers. We didn't get it right in the first two Tests but I think we will see an improvement in the rest of the series.

Nick Conquest, England

Who would you say were the most challenging spin bowlers you faced in your Test career and what are your views on the perceived lack of quality spinners within the English game?

The two best spinners I faced were Shane Warne, the best spinner of all time, and Adbul Quadir who was bit of a handful.

There are a lack of quality spin bowlers in England. We certainly lack a mystery spinner and our bowlers don't get any assistance from the present day English style of pitches. That's why I think there is a dearth of that type of bowling. It's a big problem for England and one we have to address.

Ed Walters, England

As an ex-captain, what qualities would you say an England captain requires?

You need a thick skin. To take the criticism you've got to be a lot of things to a lot of people. You have to do it your way and make tough decisions if necessary. You have to stand up and tell your players and tell them why you have to make these decisions. You have to be true to yourself. I don't think any captain can be all things to all people, you have to do it your way and lead from the front.

Neil D, U.K.

Many people say that your batting actually improved after you became England captain - what do you think is the secret to maintaining batting form whilst captaining a Test side?

I don't think there's any secret, I think it inspires some players. When I had the honour of leading my country it helped my batting in terms of responsibility and I improved, which isn't a coincidence. Some people say captaincy can affect your batting, but in my case it didn't.

Simon Cross, UK

I'm keeping an eye on the U19 Eng v SA game - who in your opinion could go on to play for England? Being an Essex man myself, I am interested in your thoughts about Bopara.

We have a number of good prospects down at Essex. In terms of young batsmen we've two players in the under -19 at the moment, Alastair Cook who got 50 against South Africa in the second Test and Bopara who's a very bright prospect and has played in our first team already.

We've also got a lad called Mark Pettini who's done well. We are very lucky with young batsman down at Essex and I'd be very disappointed if all three of these players don't make progress in the future.

Hugh Asquith, England

Just how good is Will Jefferson? Do you believe he will make the Test side in the future?

He's got the ability. The season probably hasn't gone forward as we'd hoped. He started off very well early in the season, was short of runs in the middle, but he's back in the side now so we need a big finish from him. He's got a lot of potential and I hope he will put to the back of his mind this season where he hasn't made too much progress. But I'm confident he will be a dominant player in the future.

Gilad McAteer, Northern Ireland

Which of the current England players do you think is most likely to threaten your record innings of 333?

Anyone could do that but Michael Vaughan tends to get big hundreds when he gets in.

Ashley Potter, England

Graham, would you like to be England coach one day?

I've got my hands full coaching Essex at the moment. Duncan Fletcher is doing a pretty good job with his technical expertise at England and that how it's going to remain.

Mangal, UK

Going by the recent discussions on sledging, did you face any or use it against any player?

There's a few words said between players out there in the heat of battle, but it's all forgotten afterwards as the players get on quite well socially. I don't thinks it's carried over, it's all part of the game and all adds to the fun of it. I always liked a bit of needle, it made me play better.

Iain McCulloch, UK

Can you bear to comment on the situation at your beloved West Ham? Perhaps you could offer them advice on mental toughness!

There been a lot of comings and goings but I will always be a supporter. I don't thinks it's going to be as easy as people think for them to go straight back up, it's going to be hard.