Phil Tufnell

The enfant terrible of English cricket reveals the incidents in his career, both on and off the field, which have ensured that he has been headline front page as well as back page news. The 'Cat' has never been far from controversy. As a youth he was thrown out of both public and comprehensive school; his first mariage -- to an ex-prostitute -- ended in violence, and the father of a former girlfriend once hit him over the head with a brick; there have been bust-ups with officialdom on and off the pitch; and Tufnell has been the subject of numerous drugs allegations, especially on the 1996/97 England tour of New Zealand. But when the force is with him, as it was when he spun England to victory over Australia at The Oval in the final Ashes Test of the summer series of 1997, Tufnell is capable of the kind of cricketing excellence which unites all in admiration of his talent. In a new chapter for this paperback edition, Tufnell describes his joy at being recalled to the England fold, a personal highlight which was tempered by the team's humiliating defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the summer.
Also included is his account of the winter tour to South Africa where the team hope to restore some much needed pride.