Why?<br />
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Why would you retire from international cricket during the ashes series, indeed mid-way through the first test?<br />
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Why would you reitre when the selectors said that their decision to leave you out was the hardest they had ever made?<br />
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Why retire when clearly, if one batsman gets injured (and given the way these teams are playing, that looks distinctly possible) you are next in line to get straight back in the side?<br />
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Why should the excuse of a new baby be used? It’s not an overseas tour, for Christ’s sake.<br />
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Graham Thorpe has been a brilliant player for England, but his timing for once, is completely off. It seems churlish, pointed and sour. Anyway. <a href=”http://statserver.cricket.org/guru?sdb=player;playerid=2093;class=testplayer;filter=basic;team=0;opposition=0;notopposition=0;season=0;homeaway=0;continent=0;country=0;notcountry=0;groundid=0;startdefault=1993-07-01;start=1993-07-01;enddefault=2005-06-05;end=2005-06-05;tourneyid=0;finals=0;daynight=0;toss=0;scheduledovers=0;scheduleddays=0;innings=0;result=0;followon=0;seriesresult=0;captain=0;keeper=0;dnp=0;recent=;viewtype=aro_summary;runslow=;runshigh=;batposition=0;dismissal=0;bowposition=0;ballslow=;ballshigh=;bpof=0;overslow=;overshigh=;conclow=;conchigh=;wicketslow=;wicketshigh=;dismissalslow=;dismissalshigh=;caughtlow=;caughthigh=;caughttype=0;stumpedlow=;stumpedhigh=;csearch=;submit=1;.cgifields=viewtype”>Here is his record for England</a>, and it’s brilliant. What the figures don’t tell you is the gritty, ugly runs he made in a crisis – not always a century, but worth more in some cases. I hope he changes his mind, if the call comes.<br />
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And read an excellent piece on Thorpe <a href=”http://content.cricinfo.com/wcm/content/story/210343.html”>here</a>