Is it how you play or how you look?

Many moons ago, I saw an unknown 18 year-old David Gower glide across Aigburth's turf to field a ball at cover - there's a Test cricketer I thought. Fewer moons ago at the Oval, the same action provoked the same thought about Mark Waugh in his Afghan Essex days.

But what if you don't look like a player? Here's the Googly's view of those who might have played more (or indeed some) Test cricket had they been taller, stronger or, let's be honest, cricketingly prettier.

Gary Keedy (above right, Getty Images) barely runs up and has a hurried bowling action, but he is approaching 500 First Class wickets at 31. Hardly ever mentioned for England, who have seriously considered Jamie Dalrymple as a spinning option (just over 100 wickets at 43).

John Crawley used a fair bit of bottom hand and always seemed to be fighting a battle with his ideal weight, but in his 37 Tests he averaged nearly 35. England preferred Mark Ramprakash, who got 52 Tests at an average of 27.

Michael Yardy's hideously two-eyed stance averages 40 in First Class cricket and he delivers his round-arm darts at well under 5 an over in the one-day stuff, but England have usually preferred Rikki Clark's inferior batting average and nearly 6 an over one-day bowling.

And there's no uglier or more effective 'keeper than Paul Nixon - hang on, he got his chance. Nevertheless, it's useful to look the part, and handy to play your home matches in London.

[The Tooting Trumpet]