- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Shane Warne has criticised England captain Andrew Strauss’s leadership after the third Ashes Test in Perth, claiming he “misses tricks” when it comes to his tactics.
Warne believes Strauss isn’t helping his frontline spin bowler Graeme Swann, and by not using him enough is also threatening to wear out his quicks.
The spin king says England’s pace trio looked “very tired” after the third Test and that had a lot to do with not using Swann for more than 25 overs at the WACA ground.
“Andrew Strauss’s captaincy of the team has to improve,” Warne wrote in his column for English newspaper the Telegraph.
“He is a wonderful leader of men, he speaks well and is calm, but tactically he misses tricks.
“Some of the fields he set for Graeme Swann allowed Australia to dominate the best spinner in the world.
“He also bowled the quicks into the ground and some look very tired after only three Tests.”
Warne firmly believes Strauss is being too defensive when he hands the ball to Swann and that is playing into Australia’s game plan of going after the off-spinner as much as possible.
He feels the English captain would do better to back his bowler with aggressive fields when the Ashes battle resumes at the MCG on Boxing Day.
“It is demoralising for Swann. Australia play the odd good shot and all of a sudden Swann is going for four or five an over,” Warne wrote.
“It looks like the captain has lost a lot of confidence in Swann because the way Australia are playing him.
“Strauss’s response should be to back his bowler because, don’t forget, he bowled beautifully in Adelaide.”
Warne also hoped the Australian’s big win would end talk of the 41-year-old making an unlikely return to Test cricket.
“This performance will have hopefully killed talk of a return to Test cricket for me,” he said.
“I was flattered to be linked with playing again but if that was the case would I really have flown to London to film my show?
“How many times do we have to say it? I’m not coming back.”
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.