Phil Tufnell interview

By Jeremy Horne and David Slater
October 21 2002

After our ‘barmy day out’, we decided to try and catch a quick word with Phil Tufnell. So, as you do, we headed to the bar, to find that Ben Hutton had arrived before Tufnell and was already enjoying a nice cold pint.

Jeremy Horne: There have been rumours that you might be retiring at the end of the year, can you add anything to these?

Phil Tufnell: Where did you get those rumours?

Jeremy Horne: He (David) got them in the sun.

Phil Tufnell: No, no! Not at all. I don’t know where they got them! It just goes to show don’t believe what you read in the papers.

JH: When you scored 45 in quick time against Essex at Southgate, what was going through your mind?

PT: Well it was just ‘go out there and have a bit of fun’, we’d built up a big score and we needed some quick runs to push on and get a good total, so I enjoyed that. It was a good knock.

JH: Did you enjoy the sixes?

PT: Yeah, of course. It’s always nice for someone lower on in the order to hit a few blows.

David Slater: Was there any banter between you and the bowlers that you hit the sixes off?

PT: No, not particularly. It was all good stuff, a good hard fought game.

DS: Is it true Ronnie Irani went up to the ice cream van on the Monday?

PT: They went to get some ice creams at the drinks break, but that’s totally up to them. If they want an ice cream that’s fine. Good idea!

Next week: John Emburey’s views on the season and the future at Middlesex.