He may have scored more professional runs than anyone, ever, but can England and Essex legend Graham Gooch successfully run the gauntlet of AOC‘s 21 Questions?
Describe yourself in one word?
Serious (too serious)
Any words or phrases you overuse?
Play straight, be great
What is your most marked characteristic?
Having round shoulders like my father did – my posture isn’t great
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
I certainly wouldn’t have changed sport that’s for sure. I would have liked to have caught Imran Khan in the World Cup final in 1992 – if I had we might have won that game
What is your idea of happiness?
Loving my country and my family loving me
Who would you like to play you in a film of your life?
It would have to be Ray Winstone. He’s a West Ham supporter so he would have suffered a lot, like I have
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Selfishness. People who think life is just a one way street. You do everything for them and they do nothing for you
Which living person do you most admire and why?
Rafael Nadal. He epitomises everything I believe in in sport. He isn’t the best player to watch, but he plays every ball like it is the only ball in the world – it doesn’t matter if it is point one or point 121
What would be your fancy dress costume of choice?
Someone thin who isn’t a 38- or 36-inch waist!
What has been your biggest disappointment?
I didn’t play against Sobers. I turned up in my first year to play against Notts, he was playing and it was rained off
What’s your favourite joke?
There is no way you could print my favourite joke
Most important lesson life has taught you?
Don’t look down on anyone, unless you are helping them up
What becomes of the broken hearted?
If you get knocked down, you have to get up and keep moving forward
What’s wrong with the world?
Corruption
Which era would you most like to have lived?
I’m happy with the era I have lived in because my parents brought me up the right way and I was fortunate enough to play football with my all-time sporting hero Bobby Moore
If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
Probably a snail as I was never the quickest man on the field and didn’t smile too much
What is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?
My daughters being born
Who is your favourite fictional hero?
Roy of the Rovers. All the shirts now are just like Roy of the Rovers. He was a visionary
Most overrated virtue?
Absolutely no idea
What if God was one of us?
He certainly wouldn’t miss a straight one!
What came first, the chicken or the egg?
The egg of course. No egg, no chicken
Goochie was speaking on behalf of the Sky Sports ECB Coach Education Programme, which aims to attract and train coaches at all levels of cricket in England and Wales
