Missing Hauritz helped England: Swann

Spinner says decision worked in his team's favour at the Ashes.

SYDNEY: Australia’s decision to overlook top-line spinner Nathan Hauritz in the Ashes series had played into England’s hands, said spinner Graeme Swann.

“I honestly don’t understand how Australian selection works,” said Swann. “It’s obviously different to how it works in England. I don’t know why Hauritz was dropped in the first place and why he’s not been brought back in.”

Hauritz played three Tests in England in 2009, claiming 10 wickets at 32.10, but was left out of the final match at The Oval.

Swann said England had benefited from Australia’s once again omitting Hauritz from an Ashes contest. “I genuinely feel sorry for him because I don’t think he deserved to miss out on this whole series,” said Swann. “I don’t understand why he’s not been given a shout but it’s good for us.”

Meanwhile, Australia’s new Test captain Michael Clarke casts a genial and polite image, yet he polarises opinion among the country’s cricket followers. Clarke, 29, has stepped into the hot seat replacing injured Ricky Ponting for tomorrow’s final Ashes Test.

Clarke generates animosity and praise within the Australian cricket community and it is not always obvious why. A newspaper poll showed only eight per cent of respondents favoured the appointment, while in another poll, 74 per cent said they did not want vice-captain Clarke to become Australia’s next Test captain.

Clarke said recently in a magazine article, “You wish everybody liked you, but not everyone’s going to. I don’t know and will never find out what it is that made people criticise me.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2011.