M Johnson: Tufnell Finally Working Out Rules Of Game (9 Nov 1996)

9 November 1996

Tufnell finally working out rules of game

By Martin Johnson in Vale do Lobo, Portugal

PHILIP Tufnell broke off from training at England`s pre-tour health and fitness resort in Vale do Lobo and said: "I`ve never been worked so hard in my life. Who knows? If being fit helps my cricket, yeah, why not? We`ll have to wait and see." Then he had a glance behind him to see who was around and lit a fag.

England`s maverick left-arm spinner was, as ever, being two different people. When the country`s media flew in to check out England`s pre-winter tour fitness regime on the Algarve, the first two reporters down on the training ground received a not unfamiliar Tufnell greeting. As economical with his words as he is with his bowling, just two sufficed. Within half an hour he was fulsome, and genuine, with his apologies. "Sorry mate, all this bloody training. I wasn`t feelin` too friendly. No offence."

If Tufnell had been born half a century earlier, and they were casting around for someone to play the lead in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Spencer Tracy wouldn`t have got a look in. He can be charming one minute, and a total boor the next. It almost cost him his England career, and still might. The difference now is that he says he knows it, and is going to do something about it. As he spoke, people looked out of the lounge window of England`s retreat, possibly expecting to see a large number of pigs flying overhead.

The thing about Tufnell is that he means it. Then again, he always does. If he insults someone, he means it. If he wraps an arm around the same person and says: "Have a drink, mate," he means that as well. England are just the same. They meant it when they privately decided never to pick him again, although the memory lapse in their case has got more than a little to do with the fact that they are consistently getting spanked at cricket and Tufnell just happens to be the best spinner they`ve got.

For 18 months, England cast him out, but now he`s back for one last chance. Neither party will acknowledge it as one last chance, and who could say for sure? It`s amazing what a few defeats can do when it comes to thinking: "Ah, well, this time it might be different . . ." Which is why Chris Lewis will doubtless be back again before long.

TUFNELL himself says: "This time I`m going to learn from my mistakes. I think I`ve been a bit naive in the past, and it`s a case of pinpointing where things have fallen down and trying to improve on them."

He`s even taken to calling the tour manager, John Barclay, "Mr Barclay", at least in public, and claims he has more stability in his private life. "I`m happily married, I`ve got a steady home life, and, er, well, what can I say? I`ve chilled out a bit."

On his trips to Australia, Tufnell managed to alienate two England captains, Graham Gooch and Mike Atherton, and pulled off the unique feat of persuading even Australians that he was a bit rough around the edges. He went to India, under Gooch again, and left no one in any doubt he did not care to be there.

Eventually, England did not care much for him either, and Tufnell was left to contemplate an unfulfilled talent. He has probably lost 20 Test caps through his volatile temperament, not to mention one or two friends, but does not appear to brood about it.

"Basically, I just felt that if the selectors did not want me, then I`d keep on playing as well as I could and try to make them change their minds." Oddly it did not seem to occur to him that it had nothing to do with how well he was bowling, although perhaps he read it better than the rest of us. As long as England kept losing, he was always in with a shout.

"I didn`t sit down every day thinking about not playing, although it was in the subconscious somewhere. But I certainly didn`t come downstairs punching the walls every morning. I`m going to carry on playing cricket until I drop. Until I can`t play any more. And if that`s for England, well, there you go."

As for the new fitness regime, he doesn`t pretend to enjoy it, but at the moment is giving off most of the right signals to the people who matter. Previously, the only exercise he seemed to be happy with was rolling an Old Holborn.

"I`ve never let myself down in terms of being fit to bowl, but I`m quite happy to improve my fitness if people think it will help your cricket. They`ve given me a programme, which is fine by me, especially as they recognise that players are different. For instance, they`re not asking me to lift great big weights like Darren Gough."

England are not expecting Tufnell to spend the winter helping old ladies across the road or making the post-cocktail reception vote of thanks to the Harare High Commissioner, but as far as the tour to Zimbabwe and New Zealand goes they would probably settle for him not saying anything rude about the wildebeest or the sheep.

Christchurch, on the 1990-91 tour, was the venue for one of Tufnell`s finest Test performances, and came in the only overseas series that England have won since Mike Gatting`s Ashes tour in 1986-87. In that respect, both of them have the sort of record that could stand improvement.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)