When Mike Gatting was sacked from captaincy of the England cricket team 20 years ago today, it provoked widespread controversy.
Tabloids said he'd invited a barmaid to his room on the eve of a Test against the West Indies. No suggestion of having bowled a maiden over, but the innuendo was clear.
Gatting denied impropriety. Indeed, none could be proved, but it was enough for selectors, whose comments were headlined: "We don't think he made love to barmaid, but he shouldn't have invited her to his room."
Sacking would have been more appropriate the previous season, but he retained the captaincy (and was awarded a £1000 bonus) after a finger-wagging confrontation in Faisalabad in which he and umpire Shakoor Rana traded insults. As the Pakistani turned away he was overheard to call Gatting a "f***ing cheat".
Gatting replied in equally colourful tone and later conceded: "If there is anything I should have been sacked for it should have been that, really."
There was no play the next day, racial bigotry was alleged, and England did not tour Pakistan for a further 13 years.
In those days home umpires were standard. The three-Test series followed a particularly heated England tour by Pakistan the previous year, and commentators said the atmosphere in Pakistan was the worst since the Bodyline era.
The first match of the series had been dogged by very poor decisions. Gatting was given leg-before while attempting to sweep outside the off stump. Chris Broad was given out, caught, and refused to walk: "I didn't hit it. You can like it or lump it. I'm not going. I didn't hit it and I'm not out." Graham Gooch came down the wicket and eventually persuaded Broad to go. Pakistan won by an innings and 87 runs.
Minutes before the close of the second day in Faisalabad, Pakistan were struggling at 106 for five. Attempting to squeeze in an extra over, Gatting told the striking batsman he was bringing his long leg fielder closer. As the bowler started his run-up, Gatting, at slip, signalled that the fielder had come in far enough (a legal gesture, because it was not in the batsman's field of vision).
But square leg umpire Rana charged to the wicket shouting "Stop! . . . You're waving your hand. That's cheating."
Gatting told Rana he was within his rights as he'd already told the batsman of the move. The Test and County Cricket Board ordered Gatting to apologise for his language, which he grudgingly did, but he felt betrayed. They then fined him a record £5000 for writing about the incident.
Prior to the Rana affair, he'd captained England to victory in Australia, retaining the Ashes - his only two wins in 23 matches as captain.
Gatting, 51 last week, played 79 Tests. In 1990 he led a rebel tour to South Africa where he described a protest outside the team hotel as "a few people singing and dancing".
He was suspended from Tests for three years, but was recalled and retired in 1998 to work as a coach and commentator. He is currently managing director of cricket partnerships for the England Cricket Board.
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