Randomly looking around the internet just now, it came to my notice that Graham Gooch has never been knighted. Given that the four most recent English cricketers to be knighted are Botham, Boycott, Cook & Strauss, I'm a bit puzzled by Gooch's absence from this list. He's scored more runs for England than anyone else, when you combine first class and "List A" matches, he has the highest individual score in any test (333 & 126) and his 154 at Headingly in 1991 is considered by many to be one of the finest test centuries of all, given the context and the opposition (W. Indies in their pomp). I'd argue that in pure cricketing terms, Gooch's achievements are greater than the other four I've mentioned.
I'm not a fan of the honours system, but I can't help but think he's done something to upset those who make such decisions. Could it have been his role in the rebels' tour of S. Africa? That seems unlikely, because Boycott was also heavily involved.
Curious.