20 questions with Allan Lamb

And now you’re about to cycle 109km (67.7 miles) in the Cape Argus charity cycle race. Why?

I have constantly followed the Tour de France closely and in the latter portion of my cricket profession, I commenced cycling as a great way to preserve fit and function my calf and hamstring muscles when they started taking part in up. I have also had numerous close friends with prostate cancer, so I am attempting to raise £500,000 forProstate Cancer Study.

Telegraph writer Joe Shute is racing towards you. How do you rate your chances?

I’m going to make sure he sets the speed but I’ll keep correct behind him for most of the way. He’ll be below stress – I’m not going to enable him to shoot away from me. Then just as we come up to the end I’m going to make sure he’s exhausted and I’ll fly previous him. I’m a established guy and I want to come in at underneath 4 hours. It is going to be stiff, but I’m education really hard at the minute and after I put my head down I’ll make positive I full my target.

When did you very first expand a moustache?

When I was 18.

What have been the perks of currently being a young cricket player for England in the ‘80s?

Enjoying cricket for a residing is superb. There weren’t a lot of perks when I was younger simply because there wasn’t a lot of funds in people days, nothing at all like there is now. The massive bonus was getting to see all the different nations – I wasn’t one to sit within viewing Television all day when we weren’t in matches. In New Zealand and Australia we employed to really like going out and exploring the wine farms.

Cricketing and consuming goes hand in hand, doesn’t it?

We played it challenging on the area, and we loved the game afterwards. We most likely did not have as much strain from journalists as cricketers do these days. We constantly employed to have cricket reporters coming on tour with us and we had a great rapport with them and would all go out for drinks together, but that stopped simply because editors started out to want stories about what took place off the field as nicely as on it. So it all changed – a bit sad that, genuinely.

What’s the craziest story you’ve read through about yourself?

When I was captain of the England staff throughout the 1990-1991 Ashes tour I was out in Australia with [fellow cricketers] Tony Greig and David Gower. I was not-out overnight, and even though I had to bat early following morning someone asked whether we wished to come and meet Kerry Packer [the Australia media baron]. Kerry invited us for a meal down on the Gold Coast, which was about a 45-minute drive away, and though I informed him it wasn’t actually for me, I received persuaded to go.

Our wives were with us and we ended up going for the meal but leaving very early to go to a casino simply because Kerry hadn’t been content with the support in the restaurant. At the casino, Kerry gave the ladies $ 1,000 (£540) and explained that they had to go and wander elsewhere even though we played. We had been properly up by about midnight and were going to split the winnings, but I said, “Seem boys, I’ve acquired to go, I’m batting and I’m England captain.” They all needed to preserve enjoying although, and inside half an hour we’d misplaced all the winnings – I’m talking shut to half a million dollars (£271,280). It was all Kerry’s income that we’d been going to share, but we lost the good deal.

Anyway I acquired back to my hotel with my wife at about one.15am, and the following day I received out and we lost the test match. However, the headlines in the paper had been, ‘‘Allan Lamb observed leaving a casino with a female at 6 in the morning.’’ Of program, it became the front web page of every paper and it wasn’t accurate. But then again, I probably shouldn’t have been out late that evening with Kerry Packer.

What have been your initial impressions of your friend and fellow cricketer Ian Botham?

I played towards Ian in 1979 in some county cricket matches, but it was only when I joined the England crew that we struck up our huge friendship. He was an outstanding guy to have all around simply because he had so a lot self-assurance: he didn’t feel in failure. He usually felt that he was greater than anybody else.

Any Beefy-on-tour pranks you’d like to share?

He was a shocker with the pranks. If he’d had an early night the night ahead of and was bored, he’d go into your dressing room, draw a big circle on your back and compose, “Please aim here.” Or he’d get hold of your cricket whites and tie a knot at the bottom so you couldn’t get them on.

Worst stage of your career?

The hardest moments were touring in the West Indies, when we just stored obtaining beaten. Because of the apartheid regime in South Africa, the West Indies said we weren’t allowed to perform in their main grounds so that made touring really difficult. We were struggling to get the amenities to practice in and then we had been receiving a bloody very good hammering on the discipline.

And the very best?

Beating the West Indies in the early ’90s in Jamaica after taking part in about 25 check matches against them. That was the only victory I ever had against the West Indies in check matches. Winning matches in Australia in 1986 and ’87 was also fantastic. We had been branded the worst England group to leave the British shores and the headlines study: ”They cannot bat, they can’t bowl, and they can’t field”, so winning was a excellent motivator.

What do you see as your private legacy to cricket?

I utilized to say to the guys, “If you are not satisfied and you are not enjoying what you do, you might as well pack up.’’ I feel that was my important thing: get out there and take pleasure in it and if you fail, you have acquired another chance. Some of the gamers now have a concern of failure – I believe that’s a bit of an English trait. When you’re scared of failure you are not going to succeed.

Why is English cricket currently in this kind of a dark place?

We need to have had a wake-up contact last summertime. Ok, we beat the Australians 3:, but it could have been a great deal closer. I really don’t consider we have been mentally hard adequate to face the Australians, who’d completed a lot of homework on us. We produced a handful of mistakes with choices also. Their strike bowler, Mitchell Johnson, was a large issue as well – he’s a yard faster than something they’ve placed just before. The rest of the globe hasn’t witnessed the like of Johnson since the West Indies were close to.

Must Kevin Pietersen ever play for England once again?

Effectively, he’s gone now. What Pietersen need to have done is stored his head down and scored runs for England and forgotten about what was happening behind the scenes. England is to blame as effectively for not managing him correctly – I feel they must have received him far more concerned in the staff and that might have assisted.

You’ve been married to your wife Lindsay for 35 years. What’s the secret to a content marriage?

You’ve acquired to continue to be quite great buddies and you’ve received to have enjoyable, that’s a large thing. You have to try out and enjoy what the other man or woman enjoys – I’ve not too long ago received Lindsay into fishing, though I was extremely angry when I took her up on the River Spey last 12 months to practise because she entirely out-fished me. It’s the pheromones or one thing from a female that the bloody salmon get attracted to.

Can you cook?

I adore cooking but I make a hell of a mess. I’ve done Prepared Steady Cook against Ian Botham but he managed to cheat. I consider Heston Blumenthal’s design of cooking has altered everything, and I enjoy viewing foods programmes on telly and all that. I’m a massive foodie, put it that way.

Favourite meal?

Truffles with pasta is just fantastic. Coming from Africa I also love a excellent previous steak on the barbecue.

What irritates you?

When I’m strolling down the streets in London and individuals quit or stroll and get in your way.

Who’s the funniest individual on Twitter?

Outdated Darren Gough [@DGoughie]– some of his stuff is extremely good. He will take the mickey all the time.

And ultimately, if you had been an animal, what would you be?

I would adore to be a cheetah since I’d be the quickest – no 1 could catch me and I could catch anything.

Allan is cycling the Cape Argus Cycle Tour on March 9 to raise funds for the Prostate Cancer Analysis Centre. He welcomes any donations at www.justgiving.com/Allan-Lamb1

20 questions with Allan Lamb