ENGLAND NEED A HERO

THERE'S one thing England need right now . . . and that's a hero.

This match may have slipped away - although while we're still fighting I'll be praying for a miracle - but there's still the Fifth Test to play and that's when we'll need somebody to stand up and be counted.

The kind of guy who won't see this series as a lost cause just because The Oval has a reputation for drawn matches.

The kind of guy who can dig deep and find the sort of performance that turns a match on its head.

The kind of guy who won't wilt under pressure and who will fight to his last breath to get The Ashes back.

Everybody talks about Ian Botham and Bob Willis back in 1981 and that's the perfect example of what I'm talking about.

This match is, sadly, slipping away. But if it's the same situation in the last Test, I'm sure somebody will step up.

This is a series where you can make a name for yourself by producing an outstanding individual performance. That's what England need now.

The team that deals with the pressure best will take the glory.

It's been so frustrating having to sit it out, watching from my front room and praying we can turn things around.

But I really feel for the fellas when things don't go their way.

From a personal point of view, my recovery is going well and I'm still looking to play in the one-day internationals although it would be foolish to name a date just 48 hours after the stitches removed.

I am feeling good and positive. I'm walking around and will start swimming this week and hopefully jogging.

I saw the surgeon last week and he told me the Achilles tendon looked great. After the op, I said getting back in six weeks was my target but, even though I'm feeling positive, I am not going to rush this.

I don't just want to play for another two weeks, I want to play for another six years.

Interview: SAM PETERS

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