Dominic Cork dropped into Cricket AM to talk about his new career and his 'lucky' hat-trick!
Cork announced his retirement from playing at the end of last season, bringing the curtain down on an over 20-year career that encompassed spells at Derbyshire, Lancashire and Hampshire.
The Staffordshire-born star also represented England with distinction, taking 131 Test match wickets, including three as part of a memorable hat-trick against the West Indies in 1995 when he claimed the scalps of Richie Richardson, Junior Murray and Carl Hooper.
Cork can now be seen regularly as a commentator on Sky Sports live cricket coverage, while he also provides match updates on county games for Sky Sports News.
"Obviously having played cricket for such a long time you were either playing cricket or being interviewed," said Cork on Cricket AM.
"I am now doing live tosses with players who I was captain against last year. You have to see whether they are in a good mood or a bad mood; whether they want to stuff you or not stuff you. It' brilliant and I love it because I am still close to the game and Sky Sports News has been brilliant for me."
Cork has the best ever figures for a debut when he took 7 wickets for 43 runs against the West Indies at Lord's in 1995 and says that he just decided to go for it.
"It took from 1992 until 195 to eventually get in the Test side. I made my debut in the One Dayers with Ian Botham who was my hero and I would have done anything for that man after watching him in 1981 winning the Ashes. So when I got to play in the same team as Ian Botha it was seriously dreams come true.
"Then I had to wait three years for my Test place for whatever reason. I just thought it was Lord's, my mate Phillip DeFreitas got left out for me. We travelled down together, I got picked and he had to travel back up to play for Derbyshire. So I just decided to go for it and give it a shot, I think there are too many bad things that happen in life, I think if you have got the opportunity, whatever you do, enjoy yourself."
Cork is also only one of 36 people to have taken a Test match hat-trick, however he says it was all luck!
"I remember that Robin Smith was the first person to grab me and he went:' you are brilliant!' that is all he said.
"It was the fourth morning and Michael Atherton came out with one of his inspirational speeches - which wasn't. He said something like can anybody do something this morning?
"I said give me the ball and it just went well. The first wicket was an absolute joke really and the other two just missed straight balls! You look at other hat-tricks and they were quality, you look at mine and mine was just luck!"
