CENTURION in waiting Graham Thorpe insists he went through the 'right channels' in revealing his winter plans to play and coach in Australia, despite coming under fire from chairman of selectors David Graveney for its timing.

The Surrey left-hander's 100th Test celebrations at Chester-le-Street tomorrow have been overshadowed by his announcement that he would be unavailable for touring duties with the England squad in Pakistan and India this winter.

The decision guarantees his international retirement this summer with the news coming as a shock to Graveney, who went public about his 'disappointment'.

The chairman of selectors appeared most unhappy Thorpe had waited until 48 hours before the start of the first Test against Bangladesh at Lord's last week to make his plans known, but Thorpe felt his hands were tied over the timing.

"It was something which I feel couldn't have been avoided - the timing wasn't great - I can totally accept that from other people's point of view," said Thorpe.

"I felt like I went through the right channels. When I knew exactly what the situation was and when there was something that I could actually confirm I felt I went through the right channels at the right time.

"Maybe it could have been better if it was three days before or three days after but I felt I dealt with it in a right and honest way."

Although Thorpe is determined to play a full part in this summer's Ashes series, he is well aware that the events at Riverside over the weekend could determine whether the rest of his summer will be spent plying his trade on the county circuit .

With Kevin Pietersen among others threatening his number five spot in the batting line-up, anything resembling failure against Test minnows Bangladesh could mark the end of his international career.

But that will be put to the back of his mind tomorrow when he becomes only the eighth Englishman in history to play 100 Tests.

During the lunch interval at Riverside, fellow Test centurions Alec Stewart, David Gower, Michael Atherton, Geoff Boycott and Ian Botham will greet the Surrey man into their exalted club.

Coaching commitments with Essex mean Graham Gooch is unable to join the party, while the first man to reach the milestone was the late Sir Colin Cowdrey.

Thorpe knows all eyes will be monitoring his performance but he refuses to be fazed by the situation.

He said: "I'm very honoured to have reached this stage in my career and everything that has gone on over the past week to me is in the past.

"The current situation I find myself in - in terms of playing game by game - is one I pretty much accepted at the beginning of this season anyway.

"There are some good young players coming through pushing for places and if I play against Australia - brilliant, fantastic - my head will be totally switched on to it .

"If I don't I have to accept it and I can see both those possibilities. I'm pretty content about it.

"It would be presumptious of me to look too far ahead.

"When I came back into the Test side against South Africa I always viewed it like this one could be my last and to enjoy it and make the most of it."

Thorpe rates his comeback Test at his spiritual home, The Oval, against South Africa in 2003, when he made a century, as the best of his 99 appearances so far.

"My comeback game at The Oval gave me most pleasure because it signified something which had changed in my life," said the 35-year-old.

"It was certainly the biggest thing I'd done on cricket field from a personal point of view.

"In terms of cricket it wasn't my best but it certainly was the best for me."

When asked what was his coldest memory of his cricketing career, Thorpe, perhaps not surprisingly, replied: "Durham in April. They bowled us out for 90 and 80 and there was frost on the wicket."

Another ton for star batsman

Graham Thorpe becomes only the eighth Englishman to win 100 Test caps when he plays against Bangladesh at the Riverside this week.

His record to date reads:

Tests 99

Innings 178

Not-outs 27

Runs 6,678

Highest Score 200

Average 44.22

Hundreds 16

Fifties 38

Northern Echo SPORT looks back at three of his most significant contributions:

Australia, Edgbaston, 1997

England began an Ashes series like no other in modern times when they trounced Australia in Birmingham.

Given a platform by the exploits of the fast bowlers on the first morning, Surrey left-hander Thorpe and Nasser Hussain built on it with an English record 288-run stand for the fourth wicket against the Aussies, contributing 138 as the hosts eased to victory. It came with Thorpe at the peak of his powers as a Test player and at his fittest.

Sri Lanka, Colombo, 2001

Having won in Pakistan pre-Christmas, England made it a memorable winter double by coming from behind to beat the Sri Lankans, extending their overall run to four straight Test series victories in the process. It was fitting that Thorpe's reliable performances were crowned with an astounding display of stamina in sapping heat.

In a match dominated by bowlers, Thorpe's unbeaten 113 put the next best score by a team-mate, Michael Vaughan's 26, in the shade and he fought off cramp to hit 32 not out as the tourists got over the line by four wickets.

South Africa, Oval, 2003

Overlooked for a year after dropping out of all cricket for personal reasons and then reneging on an Ashes tour promise in 2002, Thorpe made an emphatic comeback on his home ground when Hussain's foot injury left a gap in the middle-order.

His return was as if fate had dealt it that way, filling in for his long-time friend and excelling with 124 in front of a partisan crowd as England somehow defied the odds of conceding in excess of 400 in the first innings to level the series against Graeme Smith's men at 2-2.