Ex-England ace Darren Gough reveals problems with room-sharing during Ashes tour
Former quick bowler is surprised our stars will be bunking together during tour - 20 years after it was scrapped
DARREN GOUGH is surprised England stars will be room-sharing during The Ashes — 20 years after it was scrapped.
The former quick bowler knows all about the pitfalls of kipping with team-mates while away from home.
In fact, it was during the trip to Zimbabwe in 1996, which Gough was on, that the ECB decided to abandon sharing in favour of single rooms.
Goughie, 47, said: “In Bulawayo, Lord MacLaurin, the former ECB chairman, walked into mine and Robert Croft’s room. It was the smallest room with two beds next to each other and four months’ worth of kit on the floor.
“Within two minutes, he said, ‘This will be the last time England players share a room together’.
“He was in shock because we were there while all the ECB staff were in a nice hotel somewhere else.”
With no privacy and having to put up with each other’s often unusual habits, life on the road could be difficult. But talkSPORT presenter Goughie is grateful for some of the superb stories sharing provided.
He explained: “With Devon Malcolm they gave us the honeymoon suite, which had just one massive bed.
“I woke up to him having a nightmare having just punched a light!
“Jack Russell used to put a washing line down the middle of the room and you weren’t allowed to go on his side.
“He used to sit in his corner in his undercrackers and paint in the evening — so you tended to want a couple of drinks before going into that room.
“I roomed with Phil Tufnell as well, he wasn’t the perfect choice because he was so quiet.
“He never moved, you had to check him to see if he was still alive when he was lying in bed.
“I was with Peter Martin in South Africa and he was an horrendous snorer. We had a game the next day and I couldn’t sleep, so I recorded him and went to the reception in the middle of the night.
“I told them, ‘I have a big game tomorrow and cannot go back to that room’.
“So they gave me a suite on my own for the next three nights!”
The current squad will be far better looked after than Gough’s generation.
Their apartments will have two bedrooms but a shared lounge.
The idea is that players — six who are on their first tour — will be able to bond better.
But Gough is still unsure about the decision. He added: “It is a weird one and took me by surprise.
“The senior players probably thought, tours are a long time and it’s having the company. But there are times when you need your own space.”
Today is Darren and Anna Gough’s Charity Golf Day and Gala Dinner for Veterans for Wildlife.