Dave Podmore

Dave "Pod" Podmore, English cricket's most celebrated bits-and-pieces cricketer, is missing in his country's hour of need.

With one Test to go in the titanic struggle between England and Australia, Pod is to be found selling adult magazines and cigarettes to the under 12s in a corner shop somewhere in the East Midlands.

Cricket fans are wondering if he can be tempted to return for a fairy-tale, lump-in-the-throat, super-special champagne moment at the Oval in time for the precious Ashes urn being handed over to the winning captain.