Derek Pringle

Derek Raymond Pringle (born 18 September 1958, Nairobi, Kenya) is an English former Test and ODI cricketer for England, and is now a cricket journalist.

He was educated at Felsted School and Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University.

Life and career

Pringle played for Essex between 1978 and 1993. He was a member of the successful sides of the 1980s and early 1990s alongside cricketers such as Graham Gooch, Mark Waugh, Nasser Hussain, John Lever and Neil Foster. In that period Essex won the County Championship six times. Pringle as an undergraduate played for Cambridge University and was called up for England, whilst he was captain in 1982. Pringle went on to play thirty Tests until 1992, scoring 695 runs and taking 70 wickets. He also played in 44 ODIs between 1982 and 1993. He appeared in two World Cups including England's 1992 Cup Final team.

Derek Pringle's career can probably be best summed up in phases.

Phase 1 - Early Days in Botham's Shadow'Bold text

Picked for the first time in 1982, he played several test matches that summer with Ian Botham in the same side. The selectors feeling that faster bowling was more likely to trouble the 1982 tourists (India and Pakistan) than spin. Pringle toured Australia in 1982-83 but failed to hold his place in 1983.

Phase 2 - England's all-rounder

By the summer of 1986, Ian Botham had been banned for 3 months for smoking Cannabis. Pringle was therefore...
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