Graham Gooch was the most prolific run scorer top-class cricket has ever seen.  After he retired in 1997, the statistician Robert Brooke calculated that he had scored 21,087 in one-day cricket at first-class level, which added to his 44,841 first-class runs, put him ahead of Jack Hobbs.  It was an amazing achievement.

Graham Gooch was awarded the OBE for his services to cricket in 1991,   He was raised in East London and it was here that his potential was developed at the Ilford Cricket School by Bill Morris.  Gooch made the Essex 2^nd XI in 1969, in 1973 he made his first-class debut.  He was soon in the runs, and he made his maiden ton a year later.  1975 was the breakthrough year.  He played for the MCC against the touring Australians.  He made 75 and was soon picked for the Edgbaston test.  Whether it was too early for him, or the pressure was too much, Gooch failed and made a pair.  He was subsequently dropped and it was only in 1978 that he made his comeback.  A year later Gooch was instrumental in Essex capturing their first trophy in 103 years of the club. 

The most controversial aspect of Gooch’s career came in 1982 when he decided to lead the first England rebel tour of South Africa.  He was subsequently banned from test cricket for three years.

1990 was a great year in Gooch’s career, he averaged over 100 with the test match at Lord’s against India being the highlight.  In this one match Gooch hit the world record test run aggregate (456), he became holder of the highest score at Lord’s (333), he was the first ever player to score a triple-century and a century in a match, he took the record for the highest test score against India and achieved the highest score by an England Captain.  Of all his great test innings one stands out in particular, at Headingley against the West Indies in 1991.  Gooch carried his bat for a score of 154 not out, out of a total of 252 on a green wicket which was regularly enlivened by the damp weather.  This was against an attack comprising of Ambrose, Walsh, Marshall and Patterson.

In all Gooch led the England side 34 times and was captain in the 1992 World Cup final defeat by Pakistan.  He played in two other World Cup finals in 1979 and 1987.  Currently he is England’s leading test run maker with a total of 8,900 runs and 20 centuries. 

Graham Gooch was awarded the OBE in 1991 for his services to cricket.

In 1996 Gooch was appointed an England selector and held that position for four seasons.  In 2002 he was made Essex’s Head Coach but as from 2005 he accepted a wider role within the club.  This included specialist batting coaching and acting as the ambassador for the club’s future commercial development.  He has also started the ‘Graham Gooch Scholarship Fund’ an initiative to raise monies to send some of Essex’s best young professionals on overseas scholarships and he now sponsors the Essex Cricket Academy. More recently he has been the England batting coach, starting his role on a part-time basis in 2009 and moving into a full-time position from 2012 to 2014.

Graham Gooch has acquired vast experience dealing with high-level performers as a captain and as a coach.

Over a lifetime in top level cricket he has gained many stories to tell, which he delivers in his own style.  He is articulate and well informed and can motivate, inspire, entertain and create an individual’s awareness of self-achievement and has an established reputation as a humorous after dinner speaker and is in demand at corporate, social and sporting events.

• England Cricket Selector – 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999

• England Specialist Batting Coach – 2009 to 2014

• England Cricket Team Tour Manager – Australia 1998/99

• England ‘A’ Cricket Team Tour Manager – Kenya/Sri Lanka 1998

• Durham County Cricket Club, Batting Coach  1998, 1999, 2000, 2001

• Head Coach Essex County Cricket Club – 2002, 2003, 2004

• Awarded OBE – 1991

• Question of Sport (numerous past appearances)

Graham Gooch was the most prolific run scorer top-class cricket has ever seen.  After he retired in 1997, the statistician Robert Brooke calculated that he had scored 21,087 in one-day cricket at first-class level, which added to his 44,841 first-class runs, put him ahead of Jack Hobbs.  It was an amazing achievement.

Graham Gooch was awarded the OBE for his services to cricket in 1991,   He was raised in East London and it was here that his potential was developed at the Ilford Cricket School by Bill Morris.  Gooch made the Essex 2^nd XI in 1969, in 1973 he made his first-class debut.  He was soon in the runs, and he made his maiden ton a year later.  1975 was the breakthrough year.  He played for the MCC against the touring Australians.  He made 75 and was soon picked for the Edgbaston test.  Whether it was too early for him, or the pressure was too much, Gooch failed and made a pair.  He was subsequently dropped and it was only in 1978 that he made his comeback.  A year later Gooch was instrumental in Essex capturing their first trophy in 103 years of the club. 

The most controversial aspect of Gooch’s career came in 1982 when he decided to lead the first England rebel tour of South Africa.  He was subsequently banned from test cricket for three years.

1990 was a great year in Gooch’s career, he averaged over 100 with the test match at Lord’s against India being the highlight.  In this one match Gooch hit the world record test run aggregate (456), he became holder of the highest score at Lord’s (333), he was the first ever player to score a triple-century and a century in a match, he took the record for the highest test score against India and achieved the highest score by an England Captain.  Of all his great test innings one stands out in particular, at Headingley against the West Indies in 1991.  Gooch carried his bat for a score of 154 not out, out of a total of 252 on a green wicket which was regularly enlivened by the damp weather.  This was against an attack comprising of Ambrose, Walsh, Marshall and Patterson.

In all Gooch led the England side 34 times and was captain in the 1992 World Cup final defeat by Pakistan.  He played in two other World Cup finals in 1979 and 1987.  Currently Graham Gooch is one of England’s leading test run makers with a total of 8,900 runs and 20 centuries.

Graham Gooch was awarded the OBE in 1991 for his services to cricket.

In 1996 Gooch was appointed an England selector and held that position for four seasons.  In 2002 he was made Essex’s Head Coach but as from 2005 he accepted a wider role within the club.  This included specialist batting coaching and acting as the ambassador for the club’s future commercial development.  He has also started the ‘Graham Gooch Scholarship Fund’ an initiative to raise monies to send some of Essex’s best young professionals on overseas scholarships and he now sponsors the Essex Cricket Academy. More recently he has been the England batting coach, starting his role on a part-time basis in 2009 and moving into a full-time position from 2012 to 2014.

Graham Gooch has acquired vast experience dealing with high-level performers as a captain and as a coach.

Over a lifetime in top level cricket he has gained many stories to tell, which he delivers in his own style.  He is articulate and well informed and can motivate, inspire, entertain and create an individual’s awareness of self-achievement and has an established reputation as a humorous after dinner speaker and is in demand at corporate, social and sporting events.

Additional CV Information

·         England Cricket Selector – 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999

·         England Specialist Batting Coach – 2009 to 2014

·         England Cricket Team Tour Manager – Australia 1998/99

·         England ‘A’ Cricket Team Tour Manager – Kenya/Sri Lanka 1998

·         Durham County Cricket Club, Batting Coach  1998, 1999, 2000, 2001

·         Head Coach Essex County Cricket Club – 2002, 2003, 2004

·         Awarded OBE – 1991

     Media Appearances

·         ESPN Star Sports Commentary - T20 South Africa 2007

·         ESPN Star Sports Commentary - England v India 2007

·         Channel Four Commentary  – 2000, 2001

·         Sky Commentary – 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005

·         Test Match Special Radio Commentary – 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005,2006,2007

·         Radio Five Live Sport – 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005,2006,2007

Question of Sport (numerous past appearances)