Cricket .....Graham swann retires from cricket today ?

[JCW]

Breaking news that Swann has retired from cricket while on tour with England in Australia ?

What does that say about what is going on down under with the team , Peterson giving his wicket away most of the time , other batsman not batting as they should , trott going home with stress , they played Tremlett at the start , now he has been ditched and what about steve finn , the only bowler we got that has the pace and bounce to match Mitchell Johnson and he don't get a game and a half fit bresnan plays ahead of him and now swann says he had enough during the tour .............it looks like there is more going on then we know about or is it a job for the boys club that's gone wrong ...........................???

 

[Crow]

Very stange and completely out of the blue as far as I'm concerned.

And I agree re Finn's non-selection.

 

[Imurg]

Seems a bit of a cop-out to me.
Timing is poor for the rest of the team, it smacks of "I'm playing crap, we've lost the series so I'm off"
At least go to the end of the series and try to restore some pride.
He could now be remembered less for being a World class spinner and more for wimping out when the going got tough.

 

[Bigfoot]

It is not a cop out. If you look at his arm when bowling, he is not getting to the same positions he was a couple of years ago.
This can happen after injury and with age and much bowling. A spin bowler gradually finds he cannot get the pace he needs to bowl as he was at his best. Spin bowling is not always about bowling slowly. You have to put pace on the ball to hold line otherwise the ball just loops and is easy to hit.

Swann could have stuck it out but it when you cannot do what you used to, you have to stop.

The series is lost, so it is an ideal time for others to be given game time.

 

[richart]

It is not a cop out. If you look at his arm when bowling, he is not getting to the same positions he was a couple of years ago.
This can happen after injury and with age and much bowling. A spin bowler gradually finds he cannot get the pace he needs to bowl as he was at his best. Spin bowling is not always about bowling slowly. You have to put pace on the ball to hold line otherwise the ball just loops and is easy to hit.

Swann could have stuck it out but it when you cannot do what you used to, you have to stop.

The series is lost, so it is an ideal time for others to be given game time.

I agree, he has not only retired from Test cricket, but all cricket. Hardly likely to give up his whole playing career due to the current series. His latest operation has not fully cured his elbow problem. A shame, but he will go down as one of the best spin bowlers England have ever had.

 

[JCW]

I agree, he has not only retired from Test cricket, but all cricket. Hardly likely to give up his whole playing career due to the current series. His latest operation has not fully cured his elbow problem. A shame, but he will go down as one of the best spin bowlers England have ever had.

I have to say there are better ways to do it , could have said he feels pain in his arm and not get selected till the end of the series then bale out , that way he be remember for what he did and now it looks like sour grapes and a cop out , if you are in the army and fighting a battle and one of the guys just says , I don't fancy it , see yer , no sorry its not the done thing , see it out then quit ...............EYG

 

[richart]

Don't see it makes any difference, Ashes are lost so give someone else a chance. He has been a great bowler for England, helped win many test matches, and I think he has earned the right to end his career when he wants. If the series was still in the balance then it would be different, but the series is lost, and to most the last two Tests are meaningless.

 

[User20205]

Just been quoted saying some of his teammates are 'up their own backsides'. KP by any chance ??

Sounds like a happy camp!! England cricket have become a bit of a laughing stock

There will be blood on the floor after this tour!!

 

[chrisd]

From the best team in the world to a laughing stock in 3 test matches, that's not easy to achieve!

 

[In_The_Rough]

Swanns comments clearly show that all is not well within the camp, he has chucked the towel in and got out as soon as he could. Would have been interesting to know if he would have quit if we were 3-0 up in the series

 

[macca64]

Never been a fan, loves himself. laughed out loud hearing Gough talk about when he clouted him !

 

[harpo_72]

I don't understand why our bowlers are not bowling the same length? Nor can I say that Michel Johnson has a bowling action, he looks like a chucker !! As for Swann well your body tells you, guess it told him.

 

[mikee247]

It is not a cop out. If you look at his arm when bowling, he is not getting to the same positions he was a couple of years ago.
This can happen after injury and with age and much bowling. A spin bowler gradually finds he cannot get the pace he needs to bowl as he was at his best. Spin bowling is not always about bowling slowly. You have to put pace on the ball to hold line otherwise the ball just loops and is easy to hit.

Swann could have stuck it out but it when you cannot do what you used to, you have to stop.

The series is lost, so it is an ideal time for others to be given game time.

I disagree its a personal and selfish decision which he knows is going to cause major issues in a changing room. You dont resign half way through a series especially when you need all the strong personalities youve got to try and raise morale and salvage something from the defeat. He's a big personality and has a major role to play both on and off the pitch. Resigning has just added to the misery and shows that perhaps cricketers are going the same way as footballers? I bloody hope not!