Gooch seeks new attitude

Gooch will ensure Essex's players are at peak fitness

Test Match Special commentator Simon Mann assesses Essex's prospects for the 2002 County Championship.

Great players do not necessarily make great coaches - or even above-average ones - so Essex's decision to appoint Graham Gooch brings no guarantee of success.

It is a gamble for both himself and the club but, understandably, neither could resist the temptation to re-unite.

The challenge for the players is to be inspired rather than intimidated by Gooch's presence. The challenge for Gooch is not to become frustrated by players, who lack his ability and dedication.

In many ways, the club has nothing to lose.

  Championship prediction

Anything could happen

Dressing-room disharmony marred last season and several players have left or retired, so they now have the chance to rebuild.

Andy Flower appears an excellent choice as overseas player. He is a versatile, intelligent, dedicated cricketer who is among the finest batsmen in the world.

Much will depend on his ability to maintain his enthusiasm for the daily grind as his international burden with Zimbabwe has been a heavy one over many years.

He has a difficult act to follow. Stuart Law scored 1,311 championship runs at 65.55 last season in a team that won only one match and finished bottom of Division One.

Essex had high hopes for Steve Peters but he never scored a championship century, had a wretched season in 2001 and has left for Worcestershire.

Aftab Habib is a highly effective replacement and will strengthen a batting line-up that was too dependent on Law, Paul Grayson and Ronnie Irani.

Flower will ensure Essex are not short of runs

Irani retains the captaincy. He was the most successful all-rounder in the country in 2000 but struggled with bat and ball last season. The Second Division and an improved dressing room atmosphere should help his game

Ricky Anderson was restricted by injury to only seven championship games in 2001 but his departure to Northamptonshire is still a loss.

The onus is on the Jamaican pace-bowler Joseph Grant, who qualifies because he holds a UK passport. He is an unknown quantity who played in one championship game at the end of last season.

Moving county can rejuvenate a career and Essex will be hoping that applies to Jonathan Dakin and James Middlebrook.

Dakin, a bits-and-pieces player, was not a regular member of Leicestershire's championship side last season but should be useful in the one-day game.

  Essex 2002

Captain: Ronnie Irani

Coach: Graham Gooch

Overseas player: Andy Flower

Main signings: Aftab Habib (Leics), Jon Dakin (Leics), James Middlebrook (Yorkshire), Joseph Grant, John Stephenson (Hampshire)

Main departures: Steve Peters (Worcestershire), Ricky Anderson (Northamptonshire), Stuart Law (Lancashire), Paul Prichard, Peter Such, Tim Mason, Michael Davies

Middlebrook's chances at Yorkshire were restricted by the emergence of off-spinner Richard Dawson and he played only four games. He has little to lose in joining Essex.

One of Gooch's tasks will be to persuade opening bowler Ashley Cowan to vacate the comfort zone.

Cowan was promising enough to be selected for England's tour of the West Indies n 1998 but his career has stagnated. He took 32 wickets in 443 overs last summer and no-one can be happy with that.

Justin Bishop and Andrew McGarry are two promising 20 year-old pace-bowlers. Both had some opportunity last season and should get even more this summer.

Mark Ilott is still only 31 but he has had two lean years and will have the distraction of a benefit season.