OTD | England legend David Gower retired from Test Cricket in 1992

Cricket has witnessed many premature retirements. This is mainly due to lack of form, injury concerns or player’s decision to spend more time with their families. However, none of these were the reason behind former England cricketer David Gower’s retirement at the age of 35.  

One of the greatest run scorers for England, Gower announced his retirement on 9 August 1992. The left-handed batter made his international debut against Pakistan in 1978 and played his last match against the same team. It’s no secret that a strained relationship between Graham Gooch contributed to Gower’s early retirement. 

The Tunbridge Wells-born cricketer has represented England in 117 Test matches and 114 ODIs, scoring 8,231 and 3,170 runs, respectively. He has amassed 18 centuries, two double hundreds and 39 half-centuries in the longer format of the game. Meanwhile, in ODIs, the elegant left-hander has slammed seven hundreds and 12 fifties. 

Gooch replaces Gower following two whitewashes against West Indies 

Notably, Gower was one of the most capped and top scorers for England during his period. Coming to his captaincy, Gower led the English side to victory in the 1985 Ashes. However, two massive defeats against West Indies in 1984 and 1985–86 affected his captaincy career. He was later replaced by Graham Gooch. 

Gower’s mode of dismissal at a crucial stage of the Adelaide Test was one of the reasons behind his strained relationship with Gooch. Instead of blocking the last ball before lunch, the southpaw flicked idly and was caught at leg slip. Captain Gooch at the other end was furious. In his last match against Pakistan on 9 August 1992, he was dismissed by Waqar Younis for just one run.   

After retiring, Gower took on the role of commentator for Sky Sports and found success in the new field. On 16 July 2009, the England legend was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. 

Also check: Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull was born in 1969