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Gough calls for more one-dayers in domestic league

Darren Gough feels that the England players don't play enough of 50-over games in the county circuit.

Cricinfo staff
25-Apr-2007


Gough: We need to play more one dayers in the county circuit © Getty Images
England's problems in the shorter version of the game can be attributed to their lack of domestic action in the 50-over format, according to Darren Gough.
Gough is the highest wicket-taker for England in one-day internationals with 235 scalps to his name from 159 matches. "Its 13 years since my one-day England debut, and even now I have difficulty controlling the white ball," Gough was quoted as saying by BBC Sport.
Gough has called for the England and Wales Cricket Board to make England players available for more one-day games on the county circuit. "Some of the guys we were asking to bring home a World Cup have hardly bowled any overs - Sajid Mahmood couldn't even get in Lancashire's one-day team until they were hit by injuries," said Gough, who is captaining Yorkshire this season.
He said that he fully supports the central contracts system as they are crucial to protecting the fast bowlers from burn-out, especially in four-day cricket. But he added that "when there's a bigger gap between Tests it would not do our bowlers any harm to bowl 10 overs in a one-day game; they might learn more by doing that than by pumping iron in the gym for two hours - and our batsmen might learn more about the art of hitting over the top in the first 15 overs".
"We play more one-day matches domestically, than any other Test-playing nation, so we should really be producing a better England one-day side."
England has had a wretched run in one-day internationals for the last couple of seasons. Since 2006, they have played in 39 one-day matches, having lost 23 of them and winning only 15 of those matches.