Swann anounces retirement

Your comment is laughable Magic Sponge.

Yeah I've noticed that. Noise as the batsman is playing their shot. Dhoni might be a better gloveman if he worried more about the ball coming to him and less about the "oi"s.

Just forfeit the series. I've never seen a team so much more talented than the other team shown no fight or spirit and gave up so easily in all my sporting life across all sports. It is laughable.

The Indiancricketfan is sledging the Australian cricket culture of sledging too much. Stop sledging or ill sledge you he says. Really what annoys me in world cricket is Dhoni going oi each time a ball is bowled and its INSTITUTIONALISED as Others wicket keepers are now cheating the same as well. Shame on Indian cricket plus they ball tamper all the time .

Mongrels are genetically superior. Ask a vet. Good night.

Post that in the other article to see how many ppl you could drag into your pathetic web of Australian hatred and all round cluelessness huh? Whatever helps you sleep at night champ... Enjoy your match-fixed games with no passion.

I'm not even sure what that means, what are we institutionalising? I think you may need to visit some sort of institution to remove that giant chip that is sitting on your shoulder. Pretty ordinary from Swann if indeed he has been tapped on the shoulder, always thought he had a bit more fight than that. I think it just further shows this English team have lost the fight that made them such a good side. Would much prefer a close fought series so this is another deep disappointment. Ha ha, institutionalising, classic.

When you fellas have INSTITUTIONALISED it, please learn to take it back in small measure without whinging.

Wow...you're right, Disco! That is ranting. Can't even spell Michael correctly. Also, for your information, Johnno, it's "gaffer", you jaffa! Sorry, Johnno....just teasing, mate :)

I First read that as you riling against the mongolisation of cricket and thought that to be a touch harsh. Sure Genghis's bowling from horseback would create some substantial footmarks on the pitch for the spinners but otherwise I think it's ok. I then re-read it and realised it was even more absurd than I first saw. If you're concerned about the spirit of the game, have a chat with your golden boy Sachin who lied about harbajhan's racial abuse of Andrew Symonds a couple of years back. Disgraceful.

Really?

It wouldn't need to be verified, his bowling was shite and was gonna be dropped. But rather than being a team player and taken it graciously, he's announced his retirement effective immediately and taken the 'selfish for me to play on' excuse. There's still two to go and any self respecting player would carry on to the end, at least to dignify his exit which on face value seems pretty ordinary. I'd have Panesar any day. Better team player.

The real reason Swann retired is obvious - from OZ MONGRELISATION OF THE GAME & KILLING THE SPIRIT OF CRICKET. Ups & downs are part & parcel of the game and players know it better than anyone else. MONGRELISATION IS THE COMMON THREAD. For Trott & Trescothick, OZ mongrel behavior triggered depression, in Swann’s case it’s intense frustration. Bottom line – they are all saying, they play the sport for the love of it and they don’t need to put up with this mongrel behavior. OZ’s have decidedly killed the spirit of the game. Look at the India-SA series – batsmen are walking on being dismissed and shaking hands on milestones after many sessions. Umpires are not under pressure sans DRS and decisions have been great. Spectators all over are enjoying the game. This is all despite BCCI screwing CSA over Lorgat. Everyone knows where to draw the line except the OZ’s. Hence Swann’s early retirement. THANKS A LOT OZ’s!

Indeed. Johnno ranting... again.

Yeah, because Lyon's 34 too isn't he?!

England's dressing room just isn't right. Firstly they have lost so much form in so little time then Trott goes home with a stress related illness and now Swann retires. I think their going the same thing Australia wen't through earlier this year. From an outsiders point of view they are not happy at all.

Hedley Verity as well.

Well put it this way, Micheal Clarke was not the one to blame for India tour fiasco as we all know now. It was Micky Arthur and the homework gate Pom in OZ. Micky Arthur was sacked the Australian way, on his bike basically. Micky Arthur caused chaos in the dressing room setting homework as if they were school children, and sending Watto home for not doing his homework. That was a 1 off childsih event, that aussy cricket has never seen before. And Micheal Clarke was from memory our leading batsmen on that tour, so it would be hard to sack him. And the selectors got it completely wrong the most disgraceful lots of selections ever in an aussy tour in the last 30 years, and Micheal Clarke was a selector and has seen been removed as a selector like before the old days, where the captain is not an official selector. So Clarks was in extremely difficult and unfair circumstances totally different to Cook. That Indian tour disaster was a 1 off, and heads did roll players were sacked eg Glen Maxwell, and the batting order was all over the place, Phil Hughes was sacked too. This tour is totally different, it's not a 1-off, with issues like Andy Flower setting homework etc. And Cook is not an offical selector like Clarke was. And England can cope with aussy conditions far better than aussies cope in India. Still find it tough but not as tough. That Indian tour was a 1 off, maybe the worst tour ever and Clarke was not to blame much, it was Micky Arthur. And Micky Arthur was sacked. Cook is out there setting the fields, not all his fault but he has failed to motivate his side. Andy Flower will probably get sacked, and has offered to step aside if need be to take the England team forward. Duncan Fletcher quit after the 2007 World Cup. He would a been sacked after the Ashes but the ODI world cup woulda been to disruptive to bring in new gaffa as you poms say.

A rather odd collection of comments, Johnno. There's not many opponents in test cricket, so it's not unsurprising that a fair percentage of players would retire after playing a particular country. Whether you retire after a successful campaign or not, is really a matter of luck and timing. Phil DeFreitas played his last test match against the West Indies! If Cook's captaincy would be untenable if England lost 5-0, or even 4-0, then by your logic how the hell was Clarke still captain after the disaster in India and a 3-0 loss to England? I would never have expected Australia to have sacked Clarke as captain, nor would I imagine England would do so to Cook. Oh well, time will tell. Carberry and KP may be 33, but Australia's trio of Watson, Clarke and MJ are 32. Harris is 34 and Rogers & Haddin are both 36! Of course they'll be change, but it will be from both sides.

Jim laker might have something to say about that!