Stick To Cricket: Darren Gough stars on this week's show

Betfair and The Overlap proudly present "Stick to Cricket," a captivating show featuring renowned England cricket legends Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook, David 'Bumble' Lloyd, and Phil 'Tuffers' Tufnell. 

The weekly show offers insights and discussions, with special guests joining the cricket icons to delve into the sport's hottest topics.

This week the panel welcome ex-England fast bowler Darren Gough to discuss the latest appointment of a new Chairman of Selectors for England which he was a part of...

Watch the latest episode here

Darren Gough: McCullum is very lucky to carry on

I think Baz McCullum is realistically very lucky to carry on as England's head coach. I think it comes down to those roles being on a four-year cycle. If you go to India and get absolutely battered, you're lucky not to get beat 5-0. 

There were moments in the series that did excite me, and look, I like this aggressive brand of cricket. But as I said, my chosen style is that now and again you have to sit in. If England on a few occasions this winter would have just sat in, I think we'd have had a close series.

We just didn't know how to do it because the mentality is all about playing one way. It was loyalty without consequence all winter.

Gough: Disappointed not to get England role

I was a bit disappointed when Rob Key called me. And I told him, nicely, not like I would have 20 years ago.

He just said, 'Look, with where English cricket is at the minute, we went for a safer option.'

I asked him, 'What do you mean safer? He's Australian. That's not a safer option, is it?' He also said he didn't think I'd enjoy the role, which I didn't agree with, because I wouldn't have gone for that role if I didn't think I would. 

No matter what anybody says about me, I love the sport. I'm a lot more into data and writing than people give me credit for.

Gough: The Chairman of Selectors has to stick to their guns, and I did

We had a casual chat online with four people, including David Court, Rob Key and the recruiter. I did that, but it was more of a casual chat online.

Then my agent got an email saying I'd got through to the final round. So, I spent three days preparing this big, long presentation, looking up all the data on players who were getting runs.

Then, on the Friday before my interview on the Tuesday, they sent me a note saying, 'Can you come in with your team prepared for the Test match and the Lions?' So, everything I had just spent three days on, I ripped up and started again.

My team was Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell at three, Joe Root at four, Harry Brook at five, Jamie Smith at six, and Ben Stokes at seven. Will Jacks at eight if it's Lord's, because over 80% of wickets there fall to seamers. If they think it might spin, I had Rehan Ahmed. Then Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Jofra Archer. My twelfth was Ollie Robinson. 

There was a lot of debate on Ollie Robinson with the panel, but I stuck to my guns. That's what a Chairman of Selectors is supposed to do. Skill-wise, he's right up there with the best bowlers I've seen in the country.

Gough: The Australian way of cricket is the best

I'm one of them people who likes playing a positive brand of cricket. Aggressive cricket, but I'm old school and still believe in certain traditional parts of the game.

For me, the Australian way of playing cricket is still the best. It has been for years, and that's why they've been number one more than any other team. Because in certain parts of the game, when you have to dig in, they do it. 

They know when to sit in, bat for 15 overs, and then go again. That's what they've done for years, and it's the best brand. That's why they're number one more than any other team.

Gough: India rely too heavily on Bumrah

I'm not so sure about India playing Test cricket right now; I think they rely heavily on Bumrah.

He's the best all-format cricketer, but again, he's been hammered over the last three or four years. It gets hard as a bowler when you're hammered like that; it gets to be hard work.

He's looked tired in this IPL, if we're going to be honest. But his skill factor is massive, and he's so hard to face. I'm sure Vaughan and Cookie will tell you, when you play against somebody like Lasith Malinga and you just can't line yourself up, I think Bumrah is one of those as well. He's just so quick off the pitch.

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