TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2013 SPORTS Swann denies retirement comments aimed at team MELBOURNE: Graeme Swann has denied that his England cricketers Michael Vaughan and Derek Swann directly attacked Pringle, saying “just your heads out and let’s finish the tour on a high’.” comments upon announcing his retirement from Pringle, now both working in the media, were because Derek Pringle writes something I find it Spinner Monty Panesar, who will take Swann’s place test cricket were a criticism of his England team- among those who questioned what they saw as astonishing that people buy into it?! Making stuff in the England lineup for the Boxing Day test, mates. Swann surprisingly announced on Sunday Swann’s decision to publicly raise reservations up sells papers I suppose.” Pringle replied “Swann defended his former teammate. that he had decided to immediately retire despite about his teammates. could have made it clear that he was not talking “We know Swanny, we know where his heart is - there still being two tests left in the ongoing Ashes On Twitter, former England captain Vaughan said about England but didn’t.” he’s right behind us and we’re right behind him,” series, which had already been won by Australia. “this tour for England was already a disaster.... Now Swann’s use of the term “people playing the Panesar said. Meanwhile, the England selectors In comments to English reporters Swann said it’s a bloody joke. “As a respected senior player in game at the minute” led to speculation that his announced Durham leg-spinner Scott Borthwick “some people playing the game at the minute have the dressing room Swannyg66 why didn’t you sort comments related to current England players. and Kent off-spinner James Tredwell have been no idea how far up their own backsides they are. It players out who got too big for themselves?” Former Australian leg spinner Shane Warne quickly added to the squad following Swann’s retirement. will bite them on the arse one day and when it does Swann also used Twitter to respond, saying his placed himself in Swann’s corner, suggesting he had Borthwick was due to arrive into Melbourne on I hope they look back and are embarrassed about comments were not directed at current England made the comments in the hope of firing up an Monday and will be available for selection for the how they carry on.” players. “Don’t jump to conclusions Vaughney,” he England team facing a 5-0 series defeat.”It’s an emo- test beginning on Boxing Day. Tredwell will arrive in Swann has since said he was not referring to any said. “I wasn’t talking about the England dressing tional time for Graeme,” Warne said. “And hopefully Melbourne during the fourth Test and will be avail- current members of the England team. Former room or anyone in it. You too bbc.” that was a way to lift the guys and say ‘come on, pull able for the final test at Sydney from Jan. 3. — AP England add Borthwick, Australians vow no mercy Tredwell to Ashes squad against Swann-less England SYDNEY: Leg-spinner Scott Borthwick Thursday, the England and Wales Cricket and off-spinner James Tredwell have Board said in a statement. been added to the England test squad The 31-year-old Tredwell, who played SYDNEY: Australia are vowing no let-up as they chase an Ashes clean for the remainder of the Ashes series fol- his only test for England in March 2010 sweep against troubled England, who have been forced to re-jig their lowing Graeme Swann’s surprise retire- against Bangladesh, will join the squad line-up after the shock retirement of Graeme Swann just days before ment, the country’s cricket board said during the fourth test and will be avail- the fourth Test in Melbourne. yesterday. able for selection for the fifth and final The off-spinner-sixth on England’s all-time list of Test wicket-takers Swann, 34, announced his retirement match in Sydney, starting on Jan. 3. on Sunday dropped a bombshell when he announced his immediate midway through the series on Sunday, Swann, who took 255 wickets in 60 departure from international and first-class cricket, with the home side days after England surrendered the cov- test matches for England, said his body eted urn in the third test in Perth to fall 3- was no longer up to the rigours of long- 3-0 up in the five-match series. Little has gone right for England Down 0 behind in the five-test series. form cricket and that it would be selfish Under. The tourists arrived in Australia as favourites just months after Durham leg-spinner Borthwick, 23, is for him to stay in a team that needed to winning the Ashes 3-0 on home soil but lost them inside 14 playing expected to arrive in Melbourne on rebuild. Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar days-stunned by the home side’s aggressive approach. Monday and will be available for selec- is the other slow bowler in England’s Swann’s abrupt exit follows batsman Jonathan Trott’s return home tion for the Boxing Day test starting on Ashes squad. — Reuters with a stress-related illness after the first Test and major questions hang over the form of senior players-captain Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Jimmy Anderson and Matt Prior. Swann pointed to internal problems, saying: “Some people playing the game at the minute have no idea how far up their own backsides they are. “It will bite them on the arse one day and when it does I hope they look back and are embarrassed about how they carry on.” England are battling to avoid a repeat of the 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia in 2006/07 following heavy losses in the first three Tests in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Darren Lehmann, who has masterminded Australia’s dramatic turn- around after their defeat in England in July and August, wants his team to go for the jugular in the match starting on Thursday. “I only worry about us. That’s how we deal with it and that’s all we can do,” Lehmann said. “I’m sure they weren’t worried about us last time either (when Australia lost in England). “They have a good coach and good support staff-I’m sure they’ll work through all those issues. “Our point of view is to play the brand of cricket to win us cricket games and obviously it has been quite aggressive out there from both sides. It’s good, hard Ashes cricket.” Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar is expected to replace Swann for the Melbourne Test, in front of an antici- pated world record first-day crowd. The current record of 90,800 was set in the 1961 Test between Australia and the West Indies. Panesar suffered in the second Test in Adelaide, where England played two spinners, returning combined figures of two for 198 and he will come under pressure from the Australian batsmen keen to get on top and dictate. Seamer Tim Bresnan, who took six wickets in the cor- responding Test on the 2010/11 tour as England retained the Ashes, In this Dec. 14, 2013 file photo, England’s Graeme Swann practices his admitted it will be tough halting Australia’s momentum. “As soon as a bowling during a warm up session on the second day of the team’s Ashes side gets in front there’s virtually no way back,” he said. cricket test match against Australia in Perth, Australia. Swann retired “We have pulled off some special comebacks over the years but Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013, from international and first-class cricket while on against this team right now, they’re going for the jugular straight away, the Ashes tour of Australia, just four days before the start of the fourth which was what we were doing (to them) last summer.” test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. —AP Bresnan also voiced support for under-fire team coach Andy Flower, moment in time, because things aren’t going as well as they usually who has refused to confirm he will remain in charge of England do. “But it’s up to the players to put that right, the 11 on the field, not beyond the Australian tour. “Regardless of what happens over the next the coach,” Bresnan said. six to eight weeks, Andy is the man to take us forward,” Bresnan said. England have won four of the past eight Ashes Tests at the MCG and “The things he’s achieved with this team, from the outset when he three years ago beat Michael Clarke’s team by an innings and 157 runs. joined us, is staggering when you consider the record of how England While the tourists are considering changes, with wicketkeeper Prior have played cricket over the last 30 years. “He still cares as much now under pressure, Lehmann said it was likely Australia would name an as when he first took over - in fact probably a little bit too much at this unchanged eleven for the fourth straight match. — AFP S Africa claim no regrets as debate rages on drawn test CAPE TOWN: Most of South Africa’s cricketers “I think we as a team have to support the “In my view the Proteas should have gone for might have expected to wake up yesterday decision Dale and Vernon made in the middle. the win while Steyn and Philander were at the morning to headlines praising their valiant bat- The strength of this team is that there are good crease,” Wessels said.