He is one of the few English players with a first-class average of 40 or more not to have won a Test cap. But for a ruptured Achilles, he was told he would have been called up against West Indies in 1995. After retiring as a player aged 36, he forged a successful career as an international coach, with stints in a variety of countries including South Africa, Kenya, Scotland, England and New Zealand. As the Black Caps national coach, he led them to the ICC Champions Trophy final in 2010. His last major appointment was director of cricket for Afghanistan, where he coached for nearly six years until an MRSA infection in a toe led to the amputation of his left leg in 2020. Undeterred by the limitations of a prosthetic leg, he now coaches The Bahamas on a part-time basis. This is a heart-warming tale of someone revered for his positivity in the face of tough challenges and, at times, rotten luck.
