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| |  Saturday, 9 November, 2002, 22:42 GMT Gough heads home  Gough has not played Test cricket for over a year England paceman Darren Gough is to fly home and will not play any part in the Ashes series. Gough has failed to overcome a persistent knee problem which has so far necessitated three operations.
He will also miss the World Cup in South Africa next February. "It's a huge loss for us," said England coach Duncan Fletcher. In a national newspaper column, Gough admitted the decision was "not a surprise". The 32-year-old said: "You're hoping for the best - and expecting the worst. "I gave it everything to get fit for the Ashes and I'd like to thank the England management for their support. "As for the future, I don't know. But I'm running out of time and options."
The selectors took a calculated gamble by naming Yorkshireman Gough in the tour party despite him not having played Test cricket since the 2001 home series against Australia. He first suffered the injury during a one-day international in New Zealand earlier this year and has played only a handful of games since then. Gough was sent to the England Academy's winter base in Adelaide for further treatment last week but reported further discomfort when bowling in the nets. He has been advised that he needs a further 12 weeks of rehabilitation and Alex Tudor will now stay with the squad after initially being sent for to provide cover. The news comes just 24 hours after Chris Silverwood was asked to fly out from England to replace Simon Jones, who suffered a serious knee injury while fielding in the first Test. Gough has been an integral member of England's attack since making his Test debut against New Zealand eight years ago. He has taken 228 wickets in 56 Test appearances at an average of 27.57 and is England's leading one-day bowler with 174 wickets in 111 matches. | |
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