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| December 06, 2006 | Wednesday | Ziqa'ad 14, 1427 |
Ex-captains blast England
LONDON, Dec 5: Major selection blunders and an inability to handle Australian master spinner Shane Warne have been blamed for England's astonishing capitulation in the second test.
Former England cricket captains Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Nasser Hussain and Alec Stewart led the criticism of Andrew Flintoff's team — which lost in Adelaide by six wickets on Tuesday.
Botham questioned the selectors' decision to field out-of-form paceman James Anderson and Ashley Giles as the spinner and said he couldn't understand why the in-form spinner Monty Panesar hadn't played in either test.
''I am asking questions. A lot of people are asking questions. Is Monty Panesar here or has he gone home?'' Botham said. ''I am totally confused. I was confused at the start of the series and I am even more confused now.
''I am not taking anything away from Australia, they have been magnificent, but we have two players who have hardly played any cricket in a year _ Jimmy Anderson and Ashley Giles.''
Boycott also said he couldn't see an England comeback. “I think the England squad is a pretty decent set of lads. But stop talking a good game and start performing a good game,” he said. “It is as simple as that. Don't tell us you will come back - just do it. But at the moment I don't think they are capable of it.”
Stewart said England couldn't handle Warne on a turning wicket on day five.
“Shane Warne strangled the England batting and the rest is history, we just weren't good enough. Shane Warne didn't allow England to play their shots.”—AP
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