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Ben Stokes, the England allrounder who is currently under police investigation for his part in a late-night brawl in Bristol last month, has been dropped by his kit manufacturer, New Balance

George Dobell11-Oct-2017Ben Stokes, the England allrounder who is currently under police investigation for his part in a late-night brawl in Bristol last month, has been dropped by his kit manufacturer, New Balance.The company issued a statement on Wednesday saying his behaviour “does not match our brand culture and values” and that his contract, worth an estimated £200,000 a year, had been terminated. The announcement came shortly after Stokes had tweeted an apology for a separate incident, in which he apparently mocked the disabled son of British celebrity Katie Price, and with his involvement in the Ashes increasingly uncertain.While the ECB has said Stokes will not travel to Australia until his legal issues are resolved – he was arrested but has not, at this stage, been charged – it remains unclear whether he will be part of the group gathering in Loughborough for a training camp from next Tuesday.The camp is likely it to involve some fielding practice – the potential loss of Stokes further weakens England’s close-catching – as well as discussion on what to expect in Australia and some bowling with the Kookaburra ball.New Balance provides Stokes with branded equipment, from bats to boots. In a statement, the company said: “New Balance does not condone behaviour by our global athletes that does not match our brand culture and values, and therefore we have ended our relationship with Ben Stokes, effective October 11, 2017. We will not provide further comment.”Shortly after the incident in September, which saw Stokes held overnight by Bristol police, a TV ad by brewer Greene King featuring the player drinking in a pub was pulled.Ben Stokes’ Twitter apology•Getty Images/Twitter

Stokes has also issued an apology after appearing to mock Harvey Price. A video of him impersonating Harvey, who suffers from autism, ADHD, Prader-Willi Syndrome and blindness, circulated shortly after Stokes’ arrest.He has now publically expressed his regret and, having admitted he should never have acted in such a way, accepted that he behaved “foolishly”. In a statement on Twitter, Stokes said he had contacted both Harvey and Katie Price personally and offered to get involved in their attempts to reduce online bullying.”Earlier this year I was a shown a clip of Harvey being asked on Loose Women how he responds to internet trolls,” Stokes wrote. “I loved Harvey’s directness with his responses – he said what most of us think but perhaps aren’t brave enough to say, let alone on live TV.”I foolishly attempted to copy the clip after I saw it a few times. I should never have done this and I am so sorry. It was absolutely not my intention to offend Harvey, Katie or anybody else.”I have written to both Harvey and Katie to say sorry and prior to this offered to meet in person at the end of last month with a view to also getting behind their petition about online bullying. I do hope I can put this right.”

The 18-year old leads rally with Siddesh Lad before Andhra strike back; Madhya Pradesh recover after TN inflict early blows and Baroda firm against Odisha

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-20170:36

Pathan: Prithvi Shaw’s initiation much like Tendulkar’s

Prithvi Shaw’s fifth century in his seventh first-class match provided the thrust for Mumbai, but they couldn’t build on, slipping to 248 for 6 at stumps against Andhra in Ongole. That the hosts made inroads was because of the twin-threat posed by seamers B Ayyappa (3 for 87) and P Vijay Kumar (2 for 55).Put into bat, Mumbai wobbled, losing Jay Bista and Shreyas Iyer (0) inside three deliveries. From 20 for 2 they slumped to 64 for 3 when vice-captain Surya Kumar Yadav was caught behind off Ayyappa. Shaw then teamed up with Siddhesh Lad (86), fresh from a second-innings rescue-act against Baroda, to add 125 before yet another stutter.Ayyappa came back to remove Shaw in the 61st over. When Aditya Tare, the captain, fell for a duck, Mumbai were precariously placed at 193 for 5. Lad and Abhishek Nayar, though, put on 55 runs, but frustratingly for Mumbai, they couldn’t carry on as Lad’s dismissal in the penultimate over of the day set them back further.Madhya Pradesh recovered from 67 for 5 to post a more respectable 224 for 7 on the opening day against Tamil Nadu in Indore. K Vignesh and M Mohammed, the seam bowling duo, inflicted maximum damage, but MP were rescued by the two Ankits – Sharma (75*) and Dane (63) – through a 120-run stand. Offspinner Washington Sundar made a couple of late strikes, including one to remove Dane, but Sharma and Mihir Hirwani couldn’t be dislodged.In the morning, Mohammed (2 for 46) removed openers Aditya Shrivastava and Rajat Patidar before Vignesh got into the act. In the space of six overs, he removed Shubham Sharma, Harpreet Singh Bhatia and captain Devendra Bundela to knock half the side out. He finished the day with figures of 19-7-27-3.Kedar Devdhar’s seventh first-class hundred led Baroda’s dominant batting performance against Odisha in Vadodara. Two other batsmen – Aditya Waghmode (52) and captain Deepak Hooda (51) – made half-centuries as Baroda ended on 281 for 3.In fact, it wasn’t until the 51st over that Odisha, who elected to bowl, had their first breakthrough as seamer Basant Mohanty dismissed Waghmode. They would account for another Baroda batsmen in the next four overs, as Biplab Samantray sent back Devdhar, whose 150-ball 104 included 15 fours and a six.A 70-run stand for the fourth wicket between Hooda and Vishnu Solanki (46*) meant Baroda would consolidate their position further before Hooda fell in the 73rd over. Solanki and Swapnil Singh, though, made sure Odisha didn’t have the satisfaction of another late wicket.

The Ashes memories just keep on coming as two more DVDs arrive for your viewing pleasure

Edward Craig28-Jan-2007

Another Christmas, another Ashes series and
yet another Phil Tufnell DVD. Here, Phil, with an
old twist to an old theme, trades on his loveable
rogue image to string together another series of
cricket clips, linked with toe-curling one-liners
and limp explanation from the ex-king of the
jungle.This seems little different to Tufnell’s efforts
last year, except he wanders round quirky
locations at Lord’s and The Oval as opposed to
quirky locations at Arundel and the Rose Bowl
(increase in budgets, no doubt) introducing
clips of Ashes Geezers (Botham), Gaffes (England
in 1989) and Greats (Keith Miller).In theory, this could make for an interesting
retrospective, and some of the clips are
magnificent – Harold Larwood’s bowling action,
Gooch batting at The Oval in 1985 – but you
could watch this footage through goggles filled
with ink and still enjoy them. Cutting them
together with an irritating soundtrack and an
irritating script only diminishes their value.That said, Tufnell is one of the better things
about the DVD. You know what he’s going to
do, how he’s going to do it, you can see the
jokes coming and, although it can be painful, he
does it pretty well – he’s natural and energetic
but needs a better writer. Throw in some
horrendous editing and an awful “chat” with
TMS commentator Henry Blofeld (he’s on radio
for a reason), you’ll do well to reach the end.

This is not an easy time for English people to
view an Ashes DVD. The past seems very similar
to the present. Australian victories, like a Steve
Harmison over, just go on and on.Our famous guides, Ian Botham and Allan
Border, do their best, but Shakespearean
narrators they ain’t. In between Tests they face
each other across the table and dissect. “And
Australia went on their merry way,” says AB
several times. Beefy nods and scratches the
side of his nose in preparation for remembering
another ad-lib.But what they describe is magnificent
– lots and lots of great cricket. They begin on
Illingworth’s 70-71 tour and the clips just keep
rolling. John Snow getting menaced by the
world’s oldest hooligan. Lillee and Thomson;
Tony Greig hitting, then signalling, a four. Colin
Cowdrey, aged 42, with no need for a chest
protector, getting one on the elbow.There are little moments of beauty too.
Those Gower cover drives. How could a
man stand so still when the ball was about
to be delivered? And on disc two, enjoy
the wicketkeeping of Ian Healy below, the
best Australia has had. Speaking of brilliant
Australians, there’s nothing like a Benaud bon
mot. Bill Lawry, on the other hand, with 30 years
in the comm box on his CV, may never know
whether a swipe to the boundary will become
a four or a six.If you’re English, the fast forward button may be useful on disc two. A decade-and-a-half of Australian skill and English ineptitude. If only we’d known in 1989, when disc one shows Kim Barnett getting slogged to all parts by Merv Hughes, that – 2005 excepted – Australia would
just keep going on their merry way.

This is Australian sporting nirvana. Amazing Adelaide records the critical second Test of the 2006-07 Ashes at the Adelaide Oval, in which the hosts were 15-1 to win on the final morning… and went on to win. Each of the five days’ play, plus the post-match celebrations, have been put into one 115-minute highlight reel. The DVD, hosted by Michael Slater and Richie Benaud, is a compilation taken from Channel 9’s excellent coverage over the Australian summer.Features are few; there is no 5.1 stereo available for proper effect. There is only the one menu to navigate, though, and the image is represented well on any HD television or projector. A great gift and not to mention lesson. England should be sat down and made to watch the highlights again and again to learn just why it’s important to play the full five days out – and play them with total concentration.

AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn last played Test cricket in 2016, while Vernon Philander made a return after an injury lay-off that had ruled him out of the Bangladesh series

Firdose Moonda19-Dec-20175:39

Cullinan: I wouldn’t select Dale Steyn to play against Zimbabwe

AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn have returned to South Africa’s Test squad for the inaugural four-day, day-night Test against Zimbabwe, which starts on Boxing Day in Port Elizabeth. De Villiers last played a Test in January 2016, while Steyn has not played international cricket after suffering a shoulder injury in Perth last year.

South Africa Test squad

Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Andile Phehlukwayo, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn

The duo were joined in the squad by Morne Morkel, who has recovered from a side strain that has sidelined him since late October, and Vernon Philander, who is fully fit after a back problem sustained in England. Captain Faf du Plessis, who is in the final stages of recovery from a shoulder operation, has also been named.Chris Morris, who bowled Titans to victory in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge final, has not been included. Morris suffered a slight groin strain in that match and has also been withdrawn from the South African Invitation XI to play Zimbabwe in a three-day warm-up match in Paarl from Wednesday. De Villiers was initially due to participate in that match but will no longer play because of a lower back strain. De Villiers remains available for selection for the Test but there is no confirmation that du Plessis is guaranteed a start. ESPNcricinfo understands the Test captain may be granted an extra week’s rest to ensure he is ready for matches against India, which begin in early 2018.”It is a very exciting moment not just for South Africa but for world cricket to have Dale and AB, two icons of the game, back in the multi-day format,” Linda Zondi, CSA’s convener of selectors said. “AB and Dale bring loads of experience to the side apart from being two of the South African all-time greats. It is also good to have Vernon back and it is very encouraging that our four premium fast bowlers – Steyn, Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel – are all back in the selection mix.”South Africa’s pace pack will use the Zimbabwe match to find rhythm ahead of a summer which includes seven more Tests – three against India and four against Australia.With all the premier quicks available, there was only room for one more seam bowler – allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo – as neither Duanne Olivier nor Wayne Parnell were included.The squad is also heavily stocked with batting options. Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram will open the batting, with Hashim Amla to follow. But, if South Africa stick with the same team balance they employed against Bangladesh, there may only be space for two out of Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, Temba Bavuma and Theunis de Bruyn, with Quinton de Kock at No.6, followed by the bowlers. Against Bangladesh, South Africa used six batsmen, two allrounders, two seamers and a spinner.They may, however, revert to a seven-batsmen strategy, which would likely see Phehlukwayo miss out completely and leave the selectors with a choice between three of the four seamers and Maharaj. The possibility of an all-pace attack, especially on green Highveld pitches, against India, cannot be ruled out.

Kraigg Brathwaite has been reported for a suspect bowling action following the first Test against England at Edgbaston

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Aug-2017Kraigg Brathwaite has been reported for a suspect bowling action following the first Test against England at Edgbaston.Brathwaite, the opening batsman who bowls part-time offspin, sent down six overs for six runs in England’s innings. He will now be required to undergo testing within 14 days but is allowed to continue to bowl in international cricket until the results are known.He has 12 wickets in Test cricket including a haul of 6 for 29 against Sri Lanka in Colombo although he is far more important to West Indies for his adhesiveness with the bat – he is the only member of the current squad with more than 2000 Test runs. He made a duck in the first innings at Edgbaston but scored 40 in the second before being trapped lbw by Moeen Ali.

USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner says Gio Reyna has "grown up a ton" since his fallout with Gregg Berhalter at the 2022 World Cup.

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• Turner hailed Reyna's signing
• Joined Nottingham Forest on loan from Dortmund
• Says he has matured a lot

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Nottingham Forest goalkeeper hailed his club's decision to sign compatriot Reyna on loan from Borussia Dortmund in the January transfer window as he feels that the youngster could prove to be a real "asset". He also claimed that the 21-year-old winger has grown as an individual since his fallout with national team coach Gregg Berhalter during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

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• WHAT MATT TURNER SAID

  Speaking to , Turner said: "He's grown up a ton right before my eyes. The best compliment I can give him is that right now I see a consistent approach for him every single day. He wants to be on the ball and he wants to make an impact on the game with the ball at his feet. I can see him being a really strong asset."

  The USMNT shot-stopper added: "Our coach's message has been to play a bit more, and Gio's that type of player. Once he establishes a better connection with some of the players and gets more familiar with their movements and how they want the ball, I can see him being a really strong asset."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The youngster missed several matches for Dortmund in the first half of the season due to injuries and had managed to clock just 360 minutes on the pitch for the German club. If he can adapt to the conditions in England, he could be a big help to Forest, who are currently just two points above the relegation zone.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR NOTTINGHAM FOREST?

  Nuno Espirito Santo's side will be next seen in action on Wednesday as they take on Bristol City in a FA Cup fourth-round replay, but Reyna is ineligible to play because he wasn't registered in time to feature in the competition.

The midfielder has swelled his medal collection but has barely featured for the team in a miserable 18 months at the Etihad Stadium

Kalvin Phillips' transfer to Manchester City made perfect sense in the summer of 2022. The midfielder had honed his playing style under Marcelo Bielsa, one of Pep Guardiola's coaching mentors, at Leeds United, and become an England regular after playing a key role in the Three Lions' success at the European Championship.

The £42 million ($53m) transfer fee was not small but not wildly expensive either for an England international who already had plenty of Premier League experience, and it was expected that Phillips would have a short adaptation period before locking down a regular place in Guardiola's winning machine.

But instead, Phillips' time at City has been a huge ordeal for everyone involved. The 28-year-old has made just six starts in all competitions in 18 months, averaging out at £7m per appearance in Guardiola's line-up. And he has not shone in any of them, with City losing half of the matches he has started. The player's stock has taken an almighty tumble, although he is still a member of Gareth Southgate's squad and expected to go to Euro 2024, to the chagrin of many fans.

The move has also been difficult to digest for City. The club pride themselves on their transfer activity, only making a signing to address an urgent need in the squad and when it suits them long-term. Phillips has simply not fit within Guardiola's vision for his team and, as he leaves to join West Ham on loan, he will go down as one of the worst signings the serial-winning coach has ever made.

As Phillips' stay with City ends – at least temporarily – GOAL charts the midfielder's nightmare 18 months at the Etihad Stadium…

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  Injured on his full debut

  Following his arrival from Elland Road, Phillips was an unused substitute in City's 2022 Community Shield defeat to Liverpool and came on for just a few minutes in their Premier League opener against West Ham, making his first start for his new side in a friendly against Barcelona.

  But after making a positive first impression at Camp Nou, disaster struck when he was forced off with a shoulder injury.

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  Under the knife

  He played no further games for a month after the injury, but returned to action in the Champions League away to Sevilla as a substitute and also came off the bench at home to Borussia Dortmund a week later.

  But shortly afterwards, it was decided that Phillips needed surgery to treat his shoulder problem, which put him out of action for just under two months, only returning in early November for the Carabao Cup win over Chelsea.

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  'Overweight' accusations after the World Cup

  Despite his long period out, Phillips was selected by Southgate for the World Cup in Qatar, coming on against Wales and Senegal although playing no part in England's quarter-final defeat by France. But Guardiola was not happy with Phillips and he was strangely absent from the City squad when the season resumed.

  When asked about Phillips, the coach made a surprise revelation. He said: "He's not injured. He arrived overweight. He didn't arrive in the condition to do training sessions and to play." Phillips has since claimed he was not overweight, and admitted he found the criticism "hard to take".

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  Another rebuke from Guardiola

  He quickly set about returning to full fitness and was on the bench for City's next game at Leeds, although he was not brought on. It became a familiar story throughout the campaign, even as Guardiola began to make more use of his squad players in the Premier League run-in as the games came thick and fast in the team's quest to win the treble.

  Phillips instead received another rebuke from Guardiola, with the coach urging him to provide more competition for Rodri, who had become an indisputable starter despite the Englishman's arrival. “He has to fight with Rodri, for the benefit of all of us," the City coach said in January. "Rodri cannot sleep and must have the feeling there is someone close to him to do it. He has to."

Man Utd winger Leah Galton has signed a new deal as the club looks to tie down many of its out-of-contract stars, England star Mary Earps among them.

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• Galton pens new Man Utd deal
• Was set to become a free agent this summer
• But club yet to agree terms with many, including Earps

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Man Utd have been working for some time to agree a new contract with Galton, with the long-serving forward set to become a free agent in the summer. However, on Wednesday, the club confirmed that the two parties have struck a deal.

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• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  After signing the dotted lines, the English forward said, "I’m delighted to continue my journey with Manchester United and want to thank my friends, family and team-mates for their continued support – along with our wonderful fans, who have been great to me throughout my time here."

  Manager Mark Skinner was delighted to see his player extending his stay at the club as he said, "Leah continues to lead by example, on and off the pitch, and epitomises everything a professional footballer should be. We are delighted to see her commit her future to the club and look forward to many more winning experiences together."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Galton has been at the club since it relaunched its women's team back in 2018. She's racked up over 100 appearances in that time and played a vital role in Man Utd establishing themselves at the top table, helping the Red Devils to hit milestones such as promotion to the Women's Super League, an FA Cup final and their first ever appearance in the Women's Champions League.

  To keep the 29-year-old around is a huge boost, then, but there is still a lot of work for Man Utd to do when it comes to contract renewals. Captain Katie Zelem and forwards Lucia Garcia, Rachel Williams and Nikita Parris all have contracts that will expire in a few months' time, as does England star Mary Earps, who was linked heavily with a move to Arsenal last summer. There have been rumblings of interest from clubs in Europe for Earps during the January transfer window, too, but she appears set to stay in Manchester for the time being.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Galton is one of just five players to make over 100 appearances for Man Utd's women's team, along with Ella Toone, Zelem, Millie Turner and Earps. She is also the team's second highest goal-scorer in its short history, only behind Toone.

USMNT midfielder Yunus Musah is set to return for Milan after nearly a month on the sideline due to a muscle injury

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• Musah missed four games through injury
• Returned to training midweek
• Set to be fit for Empoli clash at weekend

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After suffering a muscle injury against Newcastle in the Champions League in December, the Rossoneri midfielder is set to return to action at the weekend. He was pictured training Thursday, and is set to be fit ahead of the contest.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Musah has missed four-straight matches for Milan, but lucky for him, they're in stunning form. They've unbeaten in five-straight across all competitions, outscoring their opponents 12-5 along the way. With the 21-year-old back in the fold, though, Stefano Pioli has the ability to express more versatility in the center of the pitch.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Musah, who moved to the San Siro side from Valencia last August, has made 18 appearances for Milan this season, starting in 12 of the matches.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MUSAH AND MILAN

  The contest against Empoli is on Sunday, but looking ahead, the Rossoneri don't return to European action until February with a Champions League clash with Gio Reyna and Dortmund on the cards. They return to Coppa Italia action against Atalanta on January 10, followed four days later by a crucial Serie A match vs Jose Mourinho and Roma.

For Panesar, everything beyond the day-to-day business of preparing for cricket, playing cricket and recovering from playing cricket is pretty much irrelevant – including, presumably, his book

Andrew Miller21-Oct-2007Monty’s Turn: Taking My Chances by Monty Panesar
(Hodder and Stoughton; £18.99; 320pp)

Apparently Monty Panesar racked in a cool £300,000 from his publishers, Hodder & Stoughton, to regale an eager nation with the whats, whys and wherefores of a remarkable first two years of international recognition. Quite what they hoped to get in return for their investment is anyone’s guess, for as anyone who’s ever listened in on a Panesar press conference will know, verbal dexterity is not poor Monty’s forte.Monty’s forte is simple. He’s a monstrously enthusiastic cricketer with an uncanny skill for spinning a cricket ball. And that, as far as he’s concerned, is that. Everything beyond the day-to-day business of preparing for cricket, playing cricket and recovering from playing cricket is pretty much irrelevant – including, presumably, this book.There’s no doubt he’s a fascinating character. The first practising Sikh to play for England, the best English spinner since, arguably, Derek Underwood, and among other accolades, he’s the reigning Beard of the Year. But if you’re after a fascinating read, look away now. There are all sorts of insights that could have been offered in this book, but at every opportunity the bat is raised and the delivery fizzes harmlessly by.On Marcus Trescothick’s sudden departure from India, on the eve of Monty’s debut in Nagpur: “He went very suddenly and I don’t think that any of us really knew the full extent of the situation.” On the Fredalo scandal in St Lucia: “There is no doubt that the business affected the general mood.” On Duncan Fletcher’s resignation: “Results were disappointing over the winter, and he may have felt he’d just had enough.” Really Monty? You astound me.Clearly this was never going to be a warts-and-all expose of England’s post-2005 decline, but at £18.99 the fans who lifted Panesar into the running for BBC Sports Personality of the Year deserved a little bit of insight into the character who has captured their imaginations.Even Monty’s intriguing heritage is given the brush-off. “To be honest, cricket did not occupy much of my early life,” he declares in the first chapter, teeing up the prospect of a digression into the family life of a first-generation immigrant family – genuinely, Monty, we would be interested. Instead, ten pages and a few rushed anecdotes later, he is taking 7 for 35 for Bedfordshire Under-15s against Worcestershire, and the die of his career is cast.

A few facts about his personality do seep through. He is more than a touch obsessed by Sachin Tendulkar, he’s in gentle awe of Andrew Flintoff (and most of his England team-mates for that matter), he’s forever indebted to his original coach at Luton Indians, Hitu Naik; and his adoration for the game of cricket is such that, in perhaps the most candid confession of the entire book, he reveals his despair after being omitted for the Ashes Test at Brisbane. Fletcher took him to one side after the team meeting to give him a pep-talk, but Monty’s mind was a maelstrom. “Sorry,” he eventually said, “can you repeat that please?”In between whiles, the book is a plod from one scorecard rewrite to the next, interspersed with some truly extraordinary snippets of irrelevant detail. From personal experience, I know that Monty loves to talk when the mood takes him, but the facts need to be wrung from him, much as his long-suffering ghostwriter, Richard Hobson, must have wished to wring his neck.And so, when the enthusiasm comes, there’s no alternative but to note it down in all its glorious triviality. Take a childhood trip to India for instance – the most interesting thing that happened to Monty was, bizarrely, the sight of a Chinese boy crying in the street. The most “embarrassing” tale that he is able to bring back from the recent World Cup – surely a haven of embarrassment – was the night he turned off his air conditioning and awoke to find the floor and his kit were damp.It turns out that meeting Daniel “Harry Potter” Radcliffe during the Lord’s Test in May was a big moment, as was Monty’s first appearance on Question of Sport. “The strange thing was that I didn’t feel nervous at all,” he says without a trace of irony. And so, after 243 pages of very occasional insight, the question arises as to what Monty might do when his playing days are over.”You know, that is something I really haven’t thought about,” he deadpans. “Some players go into the media when they retire. I am not sure that is for me.”