http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/test-spinner-graeme-swann-retires-from-england-duty-with-immediate-effect/story-e6frf3g3-1226788284350

I know the guy is 34 and their hopes of retaining the Ashes is over, but fuck that's poor form quitting mid series.

Your idea of 'poor form' and Swann's are obviously very different, he retired at this time for the very fact that he thought it was poor form to stay in the side and keep a player in better shape out of the side for these next two tests when his body's not up to it anymore and he obviously had little hope of returning to his very best.

If his body isn't up to it then he shouldn't have been on the tour to begin with.

[youtube]62qGutvVyd0&feature=c4-overview&list=UUz1D0n02BR3t51KuBOPmfTQ[/youtube]

The man himself puts it better than I did, from about 0:50-1:08.

He is just justifying himself bailing on his team mates.

Load of shit. Why didn't he feel that way at the start of the Ashes?

Fark hasn't seen Vetorri in ages.

-PB

Yeah, because you're inside his head and know exactly what his motivating factors are for making this decision #-o

I am, what of it?



Because obviously all parties felt he could still be a key player in regaining the Ashes, and why the hell wouldn't you think that!? He's one of the bests spinners England have ever had! He's been struggling since his last operation but still managed to be the leading wicket taker in the previous Ashes series so why would anyone think he wouldn't be able to play a key role in this one before retiring?

He was always going to retire at the end of the series and he knows that these two matches are now an ideal chance to try and find his replacement so why waste a spot in the side on a player that's soon to be retiring? He may as well step aside now to give England more time to fill the whole he was going to leave anyway. Even if he didn't retire now he still may well have been rested in these last two tests and Monty given a go or even Kerrigan or Briggs from the performance squad.

All very convenient. The fact still remains, halfway through an Ashes series when his team is gonna cop it with no lube, he decides I'm retiring. He will certainly avoid the fall out now. The English media may be stupid but the Australian...errr never mind finishing that

Edited by gooner4life_8: 22/12/2013 06:35:54 PM

Attacking Swann was our plan - Lehmann
Brydon Coverdale
December 22, 2013
Comments: 11 | Login via | Text size: A | A

'One of England's great spinners' - Lehmann
Australia's coach Darren Lehmann believes the ability of his batsmen to hit the now retired Graeme Swann out of the attack over the first three Tests was a major contributor in Australia reclaiming the Ashes. However, Lehmann also said Swann had been a great bowler for England over his five years in the Test team and should serve as inspiration to Nathan Lyon, who like Swann is a regulation offspinner without doosras or mystery deliveries.

In England earlier this year, Swann was the leading wicket taker from either side when he collected 26 victims at 29.03, but in the return series in Australia on less friendly pitches he managed only seven at an average of 80. Notably, Swann also leaked runs at the alarming rate of 3.94 an over, easily his worst economy rate in any Test series, and it was the result of a plan from the Australians to take after Swann.

After Lehmann spoke to the press in Melbourne on Sunday, one journalist remarked to him that Swann's final act as a Test bowler was being taken for 21 off an over as Australia chased quick runs in the second innings in Perth. "Twenty-two," Lehmann corrected. He remembered clearly Shane Watson's three sixes and a four that fitted perfectly Australia's method against Swann.


Graeme Swann is delighted after getting the wicket of Chris Rogers, England v Australia, 4th Investec Ashes Test, 3rd day, Chester-le-Street, August 11, 2013
"He has been an exceptional bowler and bowled very well in England against us," Darren Lehmann said of Graeme Swann © Getty Images
Enlarge
"We had a plan for him in England but didn't execute it as well. We changed things around a little bit," Lehmann said in Melbourne on Sunday. "He's a big player when they've only got four bowlers, or now they've got five with Stokes in their side, and you have to try and take one or two of them out of the equation and make their quicks bowl more. That was certainly a plan from us.

"He's been a great bowler for England and he's obviously decided enough is enough and moved forward in his life ... They're obviously going to go down Monty's path in the next two Test matches so it's a challenge for our blokes to change the way we play against left-arm spin. He [Swann] has been an exceptional bowler and bowled very well in England against us."

Swann's ability to take 255 Test wickets since debuting at the age of 29 in December 2008 - no bowlers has accumulated more Test victims in that period - has revitalised the art of offspin in Test cricket, particularly for those bowlers who lack unusual variations such as the doosra. One such bowler is Lyon, who has collected 95 wickets in 28 Test appearances and said he had looked up to Swann.

"If Nathan Lyon takes 255 he'd be pretty proud of himself I would think," Lehmann said. "Graeme has had a great career and contributed to England wins for a long period of time. Nathan can take heart from that. They're obviously very traditional offspinners. From Nathan's point of view he's got a good career in front of him and it's up to him to grab it with both hands."

Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets here

RSS Feeds: Brydon Coverdale
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

The fact still remains, halfway through an Ashes series when his team is gonna cop it with no lube, he decides I'm retiring. He will certainly avoid the fall out now.

Does anyone here care about the Mindnumbing, de-sensitising version of the game? ie T20 cricket

I have nothing against T20 cricket as such, but you'll never find me at a Hurricanes game - whoever invented these needs to be flogged in public.

But the team's already copped it, and he hasn't avoided the fall out - he's been one of the biggest scapegoats of the series. It's not like he's jumping a sinking ship, it's too late for that, he's already gone down with it.

He has been spared the brunt of the blame. He won't be seen as a villan. Watch the rest of his team cop the blame. It's gutless. Like England. Talked big in England, copping it here. Nothing but lucky.



I have nothing against T20 cricket as such, but you'll never find me at a Hurricanes game - whoever invented these needs to be flogged in public. Ditto for the guy who thought cricket needed fireworks and flamethrowers to be exciting.


Edited by gooner4life_8: 22/12/2013 11:05:30 PM

Nice win tonight. :d

But the team's already copped it, and he hasn't avoided the fall out - he's been one of the biggest scapegoats of the series. It's not like he's jumping a sinking ship, it's too late for that, he's already gone down with it.

He has been spared the brunt of the blame. He won't be seen as a villan. Watch the rest of his team cop the blame. It's gutless. Like England. Talked big in England, copping it here. Nothing but lucky.

Well, that's an issue with the selectors, not Swanny himself. As he said in his press conference, he could have easily gone out on a high note after the last series but he would have never forgiven himself if he didn't have another crack at the Ashes. He knew his body was deteriorating but he wanted to try and felt he could keep going for one more series, it's up to the selectors to identify that he's not up to it anymore and not select him, but they weren't going to do that after the series he had in England - they wouldn't have seen this coming.

His plan was always to retire at the end of this series, but now that it's all over after three he sees no point in playing the next two tests and giving the team less time to find his replacement. Far from 'petulant' or a 'dummy spit', it's actually quite a selfless thing to do. It would seem more petulant to continue playing just for that one last hurrah when there's really no point keeping the next England spinner out of the side any longer.

Edited by gooner4life_8: 22/12/2013 05:41:30 PM

His mind was set on retiring after this series for a long time, it can't be a dummy spit if he'd made the decision before the series had even fucking begun. He brings his decision forward now the series is gone so his replacement can have more time to settle in instead of wasting that chance by playing in the next two tests, but let's not let any of this stop fans and the media to continue this idiotic speculation.

You can't claim that he's making a move for the good of the team when he's unleashed a verbal tirade against his now former teammates.