SYDNEY, Sept 25: Stuart MacGill, who watched helpless as Australia crashed to an Ashes series defeat to England, said on Sunday his omission from the losing team made no sense. The leg-spinner, who has taken 160 wickets in 33 Tests, went through the entire Ashes series without receiving a word of explanation from selectors about why he was overlooked for all five Tests.

MacGill looked on as England’s batsmen showed a dislike for the turning ball with fellow wrist-spinner Shane Warne snaring 40 wickets.

MacGill said the selectors’ decision not to choose him was a mystery. “There was no explanation whatsoever,” MacGill told Sydney’s Sun-Herald.

“Warney took 40 wickets when he’s supposed to be past it. He had 16 wickets in two Tests, before the (third) Old Trafford Test, when I thought I might have been a good chance of getting in there somewhere. None of it made much sense to me,” MacGill said.

“I’m looking at the tour now in two ways. There was the cricket side of it and the general experience.

“If I remove cricket from the tour, it was great. It was a nine-week, well-paid holiday.

“I was sitting there watching us go downhill without being able to help.”

MacGill said the gruelling workload on Warne took its toll on the champion leg-spinner by the fifth and final Test at The Oval earlier this month.—AFP