the times | Thursday April 28 2022 61
Sport
Key has yet to make any formal
appointments. He is expected to hire a
new head selector to chair the panel.
Stokes is expected to return to play-
ing next week when Durham take on
Worcestershire at New Road. He has awake-up call for cricket and for sport
in general. For Azeem to do what he
did was brave. It was heartbreaking,
the mental torment of losing a child
[his son was stillborn in 2018] and
what he experienced at Yorkshire.
“I got in touch with him initially
because my two best mates
committed suicide, so I always had
empathy. Now I’m trying to take the
club in a direction where we all move
forward together, understanding the
mistakes of the past, making sure it
never happens again and becoming
the club we all want it to be.”
The irony is not lost on him that he
is the man to bring about a more
united front, given his love/hate
relationship with Yorkshire’s
supporters when he played. He
was the first Yorkshire player to be
put on an England central contract,
got accused of being an OBE (only
bowls for England) and then left to go
to Essex, which rankled with some.
Still, he says the reaction of
supporters to his appointment has
been “magnificent”.
On Thursday, Yorkshire are
preparing to make their seasonal bow
at their spiritual home. So much has
changed since they most recently
played at Headingley, after a winter
that threatened to bring this great
club to its knees. Having left the
comfort of the radio studio for a
cricketing hot seat, Gough’s life has
been transformed too; maybe even
reinvigorated.
“I’ve had lots of help but it’s been
incredible how much we’ve had to do.
Thankfully, the season has started
now so I can concentrate a bit more
on the senior sides. And this is why I
wanted to get back involved with
cricket. I love the game. I love being
around it. I love thinking about it, the
planning and working out how to
make a team better. Love it.”
Never a shrinking rose when he
played, Gough aims to make the old
place bloom again.ALLAN MCKENZIE/SWPIX/SHUTTERSTOCKECB may have no chairman all summer
The ECB could be without a permanent
chairman for four months after it had to
reopen the application process having
failed to find a suitable candidate.
The position has been vacant since
Ian Watmore resigned in October, only
13 months into the standard five-year
term for a chairman.
Although three people were inter-
viewed this month for the £250,000-
a-year job, the ECB’s appointments
committee did not believe that any of
them met the criteria.
After a meeting of the ECB’s board of
directors on Tuesday and a further
meeting of the county chairmen yester-
day, it was decided that the applicationprocess should be reopened to land a
candidate who fits the bill.
Ron Kalifa, who was head of the
nominations committee, has stood
down from the role and is now the
leading candidate to become the
chairman. Kalifa, who has been on the
ECB board since November 2020, has
the backing of a number of county
chairmen and other leading figures
within the game, although he will
have to go through the formal applica-
tion process.
The delay adds to the power vacuum
at the top of English cricket and means
that Tom Harrison may stay in his role
as the ECB chief executive for at least a
few more months. It was expected that,
had a permanent chairman beenappointed, Harrison, 50, would leave
within the next few weeks.
Barry O’Brien, who had been acting
as interim chairman since Watmore’s
resignation, is suffering from ill health
and so has stepped down. Martin
Darlow, the vice-chairman of the ECB’s
board, will step up to act as interim
chairman.
At a meeting of the county chairmen
yesterday, some expressed concern
that the ECB will struggle to attract any
appropriate or high-calibre candidates
for the job given that the governing
body had failed to appoint anyone
despite a widespread search and
that Kalifa’s emergence as the
favourite would dissuade others from
applying.Elizabeth AmmonStokes wants Anderson and
Broad back in the Test team
feature in the same match. Key will
hold his first press conference today at
Lord’s and is expected to use the
opportunity to confirm the appoint-
ment of Stokes.
Having been Root’s vice-captain for
much of the Yorkshireman’s tenure,
Stokes also stood in to captain the side
when Root was on paternity leave in
2020, although England lost that match
against West Indies. He also took over
at the last minute to replace Eoin
Morgan as ODI captain last summer,
leading England to a 3-0 victory over
Pakistan with a third-string squad
when the first-choice team were all
ruled out due to a Covid outbreak.
The squad for the first Test of the
summer, against New Zealand at Lord’s
starting on June 2, needs to be picked by
May 26 and Stokes, 30, will play a role as
part of a new selection panel, althoughlong-standing knee injury that was ex-
acerbated by bowling a large number of
overs during the three-match series
against West Indies last month, which
England lost 1-0. But a scan this month
showed that there was no new damage
and he returned to training this week.
After being appointed last week, Key
has held talks with Broad and
Anderson to discuss their futures. Both
bowlers will play three or four matches
for their counties — Nottinghamshire
and Lancashire respectively — before
the first Test.
England will have separate head
coaches for their Test and limited-overs
teams, with interviews taking place on
May 9 and 10, the ECB has said. Both
roles were advertised this week and ap-
plications must be submitted by May 6,
with the first round of interviews three
days later. If a second round of inter-
views is required, it is likely that they
would take place the following week.O’Sullivan closing on Hendry’s record
As Ronnie O’Sullivan stood chatting to
Stephen Hendry after becoming the
first player into the semi-finals at this
year’s Betfred World Championship
the symbolism was lost on nobody.
The player known as The Rocket is
attempting to equal Hendry’s most
cherished record, of seven world titles
at the Crucible Theatre, and there is no
one else other than these two in the
conversation about who is the greatest
of all time.
With an easy 13-5 win over Stephen
Maguire in the last eight yesterday, a
relaxed and focused O’Sullivan, 46,
showed that he is in the mood for title
No 7. He produced superb breaks of 71
and 126 to complete the job, having
held an 11-5 overnight lead, and Hendry— working as a pundit — sounded
almost like an awe-struck fan when
describing what he had witnessed.
“It would be an honour for me to
share seven with Ronnie,” the Scot said.
“It would be, because he has taken it
to a new level. That is probably the
best and most clinical he has been —
that last frame was just artistry with
the cue ball. You cannot play snooker
better than that. I am struggling to
see anyone who can compete
with Ronnie, I really am, he is
just supreme in all departments
— he looks focused, and he is
scoring when he gets in. It will
take something to beat him.”
O’Sullivan acknowledged
that being part of the “class of1992” triumvirate, alongside John
Higgins and Mark Williams, has
pushed him, while repaying Hendry’s
compliments.
“Stephen is the all-time legend for
me, the greatest player,” he said.
“He was our Tiger Woods of
snooker. Me and John and Mark
have done well but when he was
flying in the Nineties, he was a
superstar, one man domi-
nating the sport.
“I may look relaxed,
but I’d rather not be
playing here to be hon-
est. It’s a hard tourna-
ment, one of the ones I
enjoy the least. I’d
prefer to be in Leicester
playing the Championship
League. I wouldn’t have to
put up with all the pressure.”Snooker
Hector Nunns4.05 Handicap (£2,970: 5f) (10)
1 (9)12-00KODIAK ATTACK 27 (D) S Kirk 6-9-11 S De Sousa
2 (7)30-35WINGS OF A DOVE 90 (B) R Spencer 4-9-10
Harry Davies (7)
3 (3)000-0REAL ESTATE 17 (P,C) M Attwater 7-9-7 R Havlin
4 (10)0-505SAN JUAN 52 (T,D) M Loughnane 5-9-2Josephine Gordon
5 (8) 00206 CAPTAIN RYAN 52 (D) G Deacon 11-9-1 G Bass (5)
6 (6)606-0ASCOT JUNGLE 104 C Hobson 5-9-1 C Hutchinson (5)
7 (5) 05404 PERFECT SYMPHONY 22 (P,C,D) M Pattinson 8-8-13
J Bryan
8 (4)-6600MERCERS 17 (B,CD) P Butler 8-8-13Grace McEntee (3)
9 (2)060-0TILSWORTH VALERIE 100 J R Jenkins 4-8-13
A Beech (5)
10 (1) 00000 HURRICANE ALERT 22 (B,CD) Frank Bishop 10-8-13
Molly Gunn (7)
7-2 Wings Of A Dove, 4-1 San Juan, 5-1 Perfect Symphony, Kodiak Attack, 6-1
Real Estate, 7-1 Captain Ryan, 12-1 Ascot Jungle, 20-1 Tilsworth Valerie.3.00 Handicap (£4,995: 7f) (5)
1 (5)16-35ARCTICIAN 29 (D) S Dow 4-9-7 L Morris
2 (1)13-60MARLAY PARK 24 (D) J Boyle 4-9-2 P Cosgrave
3 (2)4-100MOUNT MOGAN 29 (CD) Mrs L Mongan 5-9-2R Havlin
4 (4)1533-IVASECRET 153 (CD) J Butler 4-9-1 S De Sousa
5 (3)0420-LIGHTENING SHORE 204 (V) C Fellowes 4-8-10S Donohoe
13-8 Ivasecret, 3-1 Lightening Shore, 7-2 Arctician, 5-1 Marlay Park, 10-1
Mount Mogan.3.35 Novice Stakes (£3,942: 6f) (7)
1 (7) 1-2AUDIENCE 14 (BF) J & T Gosden 3-9-8 R Havlin
2 (4) 32 APHELIOS 81 (BF) H & R Charlton 3-9-1 T Greatrex (3)
3 (2) ARCHIANO A Watson 3-9-1 James Doyle
4 (1) 6 CIAO ADIOS 11 R Hannon 3-8-10Alexander Voikhansky (7)
5 (3)006-DAWAHY 210 Sir M Prescott 3-8-10 Doubtful
6 (5) 4-4MISS CANDY 96 J Chapple-Hyam 3-8-10 S De Sousa
7 (6) 0-NO MORE TIERS 295 G Baker 3-8-10Josephine Gordon
1-2 Audience, 4-1 Aphelios, 8-1 Archiano, 12-1 Miss Candy, 25-1 Ciao Adios,
33-1 No More Tiers.2 (6)0030-CHIEF OF STAFF 148 (H) S bin Suroor 4-9-6P Cosgrave
3 (2)-0000SEVENTH KINGDOM 43 (B,T) J Osborne 4-9-5D Costello
4 (3)410-0VICTORIOUS NIGHT 12 R Hannon 4-9-3 S De Sousa
5 (5)-1212COVERT MISSION 14 (T,BF,D) K P De Foy 4-9-2B Sayette (7)
6 (7) 15233 PRINCE ROCK 28 (CD) S Dow 7-8-13 L Morris
7 (1)240-0GALACTIC GLOW 24 (H) L Dace 5-8-11 C Bishop
11-8 Covert Mission, 3-1 Prince Rock, 6-1 Chief Of Staff, 7-1 Darvel, 10-1
Victorious Night, 12-1 Galactic Glow, 25-1 Seventh Kingdom.2.30 Handicap (3-Y-O: £3,510: 1m) (7)
1 (7)633-1COURT OF SESSION 13 (D) S & E Crisford 9-10James Doyle
2 (4)232-DUBAI IMMO 150 (BF) M Botti 9-10 B Sayette (7)
3 (2)515-0YOUTHFUL KING 33 (C) L Dace 9-7 C Bishop
4 (3)4-23REBEL LOVE 16 I Mohammed 9-6 R Dawson
5 (1)600-0ISLAND BANDIT 24 H Main 9-6 J Bryan
6 (6)26-50HUL AH BAH LOO 24 S Dow 9-5 S De Sousa
7 (5)6000-DENNING 134 (W) Sir M Prescott 8-13 L Morris
6-5 Court Of Session, 9-2 Dubai Immo, 5-1 Denning, Rebel Love, 12-1 Island
Bandit, 16-1 Youthful King, 25-1 Hul Ah Bah Loo.Lingfield Park
Rob Wright
1.00 Casi Crudo 3.00 Ivasecret
1.30 March Moon 3.35 Audience
2.00 Covert Mission 4.05 Wings Of A Dove
2.30 Court Of Session (nb)
Going: standard Sky Sports Racing
Draw: 5f-1m, low numbers best1.00 Handicap (3-Y-O: £2,970: 1m 4f) (8)
1 (4)006-1KANUHURA 76 Mrs L Mongan 9-8 B Sayette (7)
2 (6)600-3CASI CRUDO 11 C & M Johnston 9-7 W Buick
3 (3)^54413 AWAY WIT DA FAIRYS 3 (C,D) Alice Haynes 9-7(6ex)K O'Neill
4 (8)0406-CLARITUDO 197 Harry Eustace 9-6 G Wood
5 (5)552-2EIGHT OF DIAMONDS 33 (BF) S P C Woods 9-6
James Doyle
6 (1)00-0CAIUS CHORISTER 33 D Menuisier 9-3 W Carver (3)
7 (2) 050 ROSELEA GIRL 16 A Carson 9-2 Molly Gunn (7)
8 (7) 006 PRIME OBJECTIVE 47 A Watson 8-12 L Morris
3-1 Eight Of Diamonds, 7-2 Away Wit Da Fairys, 4-1 Casi Crudo, 6-1 Kanuhura,
7-1 Prime Objective, 10-1 Claritudo, Caius Chorister, 25-1 Roselea Girl.
1.30 Novice Stakes
(3-Y-O: £3,942: 1m 4f) (7)
1 (5)^31 TRUE ACCOLADE 24 (H) C Appleby 9-9 W Buick
2 (6) JULIUS H Morrison 9-2 Josephine Gordon
3 (1) 6 KASAI RIVER 90 (H) A King 9-2 M Harley
4 (7) 5 LOCKSMITH 24 E J-Houghton 9-2 C Bishop
5 (2)03-5MARCH MOON 27 (P) J & T Gosden 9-2 R Havlin
6 (4) ROSEHILL S Dixon 9-2 J Fisher (5)
7 (3) 56-LADY HONORE 251 Alice Haynes 8-11 K O'Neill
8-11 True Accolade, 3-1 March Moon, 10-1 Kasai River, 12-1 Lady Honore, 14-1
Julius, 20-1 Locksmith, 25-1 Rosehill.
2.00 Handicap (£3,510: 1m) (7)
1 (4)6300-DARVEL 187 P Chamings 4-9-7 R HavlinThe following horses are blinkered for the first time today:
Chelmsford City 5.10 Henry The Fifth. Lingfield Park 2.00
Seventh Kingdom. Redcar 3.50 Bobby Dalton.O’Sullivan is on course to
equal Hendry’s seven titlescontinued from back
Stokes was stand-in captain in 2020