Mark 'Baby Boof' Cosgrove sheds pounds to persuade mentor Darren Lehmann to pick him for Ashes One of Cosgrove's nicknames is "Baby Boof." The Australia coach, Darren "Boof" Lehmann, was Cosgrove's mentor at their club side, Northern Districts in Adelaide, and the similarities in every sense are obvious. And you wonder whether Lehmann has had a quiet word. You look at Australia's line-up and realise that Cosgrove would probably strengthen their middle order considerably, were he in shape. Since Cosgrove made his debut for South Australia as an 18-year-old in the 2002-03 season, only Chris Rogers and David Hussey have scored more Sheffield Shield runs. Cosgrove is still just 29 and Rogers's second Test cap last summer at 35 has offered hope to all. Cosgrove is a magnificent talent. His first-class record in 35 matches for Glamorgan stands comparison with any of the club's finest overseas batsmen. In that time he averaged 52.27, which was marginally more than another Australian Matthew Elliott, the most gifted of anyone with whom I had the pleasure of opening, in a similar amount of matches. Cosgrove's statistics are not far behind the great Sir Vivian Richards (55.62 for Glamorgan) or the magician Javed Miandad (57.79). The cricket world has changed, though. Players such as Cosgrove were once championed as characters, now they are lambasted as liabilities. Portly shapes are less-easily tolerated, certainly within the England team where Samit Patel is an example of a player overlooked because of lack of fitness. So Lehmann as coach is now an intriguing case. As a player he certainly did not like training. I well recall a match between Glamorgan and Yorkshire when myself and Matthew Maynard were both missing with hand injuries, but were training hard beforehand on the outfield. Lehmann came over to say hello, but also to point out disbelievingly that such physical sacrifice was wholly unnecessary. The word is that Lehmann is now melding the old and the new within his coaching set-up, but still Cosgrove would not be entertained without a change in body shape. And, of course, he will need some runs, too. "I have known "Boof" for a long time. but if I am not making runs he is not going to pick me. He only has one vote,"" Cosgrove said recently. Cosgrove has not been helped by breaking a thumb playing grade cricket, but even that appears to have provoked a new attitude. "It gives me a few more weeks to drop a few more kgs," he said "I'll put the ear phones in and keep running."" Goodness, this is serious. You never know, if he had been in this country, he may well have joined the large group of cyclists, consisting mostly of current and former players (including Matthew Maynard, Marcus Trescothick, Jos Buttler and, for a day, Andrew Flintoff), who will arrive at Lord's on Tuesday having left Durham last Friday in an epic challenge to raise money for theTom Maynard Trust and the Professional Cricketers" Association's Benevolent Fund. In fact, I am sure that he would have done so for his mate, Tom, who died last year. Cosgrove was a close friend during their time together at Glamorgan - "he was just an awesome bloke, my best mate in England," he has said. Cosgrove now wears Maynard's Surrey shirt number, 55, as well as proudly sporting the Tom Maynard Trust's sticker on the back of his bat. Could we see that sticker in The Ashes this winter? It's not impossible. To donate to the Big Bike Ride go to mydonate.bt.com/events/pcabfandtmtbigbikeride/95594