Irresistible on his day, Caddick can also be frustratingly mediocre -especially for England. But for Somerset he is as consistently destructive as any overseas player, even on the belters at Taunton. His action is modelled on Richard Hadlee's, and Caddick sometimes bowls as well as him, finding bounce and movement from just short of a length. He's a sensitive man, though, and if a batsman gets after him his confidence can vanish. He has been called gauche, aloof, and - by his former England coach David Lloyd - nerdy. He retired from one-day cricket after the 2003 World Cup. Despite taking 105 wickets in 1998, he was not wanted for the Ashes tour. But under Nasser Hussain and Duncan Fletcher, Caddick flourished, and formed a strong partnership with Darren Gough that lasted 25 Tests, faltered only during the 2001 Ashes drubbing, and was finally broken when both men decided not to go to India in November 2001. Caddick left his decision until the last minute. Although in the international wilderness, he continued to plug away for Somerset with good results. There is no doubt that he is more of a team man than he used to be. Except when he's running between the wickets. Caddick finished the 2007 season as the leading English wicket-taker but, during an injury-plagued 2008 season, finally admitted that his England days were over. He announced he would retire from first-class cricket at the end of 2009 season.
Lawrence Booth August 2009