Graeme Swann retires from international cricket with immediate effect

Dello wrote:

skully wrote:I reckon Chinn's good mate Jimmeh will be quite gutted at this turn of events.

How would we be able to tell? Looks a miserable f*cker at the best of times.

"Miserable" and "Northern" are very similar looks

Ethics? The Gall! wrote:So whos going to be the next rat to desert the ship?

Bearing in mind, the other player to leave the tour is Trott for a stress-related condition, that's a very poorly worded contribution.

It's not a selfish decision. It's not an unselfish decision. The facts are he wasn't performing. There was a noticeable lack of revs in his bowling, maybe he just couldn't cope with giving it a rip any more, like his body couldn't hack it. Either way it's a huge surprise - especially retiring from all forms of international cricket - he's still one of the best ODI/T20I bowlers going.

Fair play to him anyway - a great performer for England.

Nice one Swanny.

beamer wrote:The wheels are coming off in spectacular fashion. That's two senior players walking out mid-tour for reasons other than injury, will KP, Anderson or Prior be tempted to join them? Christmas back home must be a tempting option instead of completing a whitewash in Melbourne and Sydney.

For all the criticism he's had recently, Swann is the only world class spinner we've had in 30 years and it will probably be 30 more until we have another. We'll have to hope Monty can do a job for us for a few more years or otherwise it will be back to the old situation of playing a spinner who's not up to it or not playing one at all and relying on part-timers.

Basil wrote:

Ethics? The Gall! wrote:So whos going to be the next rat to desert the ship?

Bearing in mind, the other player to leave the tour is Trott for a stress-related condition, that's a very poorly worded contribution.

People dont understand stress/depression ...

skully wrote:Welly well well, have to say that is a surprise. Haven't read any details (will do so shortly, having just heard the news), but 34 is very young for an English offie to call it quits.

This won't help English morale at all.

He's not been the same bowler for a year or so though - I think his elbow surgery didn't help. It wouldn't have been a surprise if he had retired after the series, but the timing is very surprising.

embee wrote:

beamer wrote:The wheels are coming off in spectacular fashion. That's two senior players walking out mid-tour for reasons other than injury, will KP, Anderson or Prior be tempted to join them? Christmas back home must be a tempting option instead of completing a whitewash in Melbourne and Sydney.

For all the criticism he's had recently, Swann is the only world class spinner we've had in 30 years and it will probably be 30 more until we have another. We'll have to hope Monty can do a job for us for a few more years or otherwise it will be back to the old situation of playing a spinner who's not up to it or not playing one at all and relying on part-timers.

Basil wrote:

Ethics? The Gall! wrote:So whos going to be the next rat to desert the ship?

Bearing in mind, the other player to leave the tour is Trott for a stress-related condition, that's a very poorly worded contribution.

People dont understand stress/depression ...

I didn't imply Trott's condition wasn't genuine, or that he was "deserting a sinking ship". Clearly influenced by the pressure of the situation though, unlike say a physical injury causing a player to leave. And the fact two have gone may encourage others to follow.

Best England spinner in my lifetime by quite some distance.

Series is lost so it doesn't really matter that there are two tests to go.

vilkrang wrote:Best England spinner in my lifetime by quite some distance.

Series is lost so it doesn't really matter that there are two tests to go.

Unless the only other spinner on the tour gets injured.

Dello wrote:

vilkrang wrote:Best England spinner in my lifetime by quite some distance.

Series is lost so it doesn't really matter that there are two tests to go.

Unless the only other spinner on the tour gets injured.

Well, it's not illegal to go into a Test without a spinner... the second string are out there anyway aren't they?

Dello wrote:

vilkrang wrote:Best England spinner in my lifetime by quite some distance.

Series is lost so it doesn't really matter that there are two tests to go.

Unless the only other spinner on the tour gets injured.

Doesn't really matter though does it? I'd rather not lose 5-0 but whether it's 5-0 or 3-2 we've still lost the urn.

Whoever we serve up is most likely going to be cannon fodder, so it doesn't matter if that's with a spinner or with four seamers.

Yeah, may as well just play 11 batsmen and try for a draw anyway.

beamer wrote:

Dello wrote:

vilkrang wrote:Best England spinner in my lifetime by quite some distance.

Series is lost so it doesn't really matter that there are two tests to go.

Unless the only other spinner on the tour gets injured.

Well, it's not illegal to go into a Test without a spinner... the second string are out there anyway aren't they?

Not illegal maybe, but unwise. We have four seamers anyway with Stokes coming in at six, so playing five makes no sense at all.

Basil wrote:

skully wrote:Welly well well, have to say that is a surprise. Haven't read any details (will do so shortly, having just heard the news), but 34 is very young for an English offie to call it quits.

This won't help English morale at all.

He's not been the same bowler for a year or so though - I think his elbow surgery didn't help. It wouldn't have been a surprise if he had retired after the series, but the timing is very surprising.

I know Swann has had injury problems, but I can't quite understand why 33 or 34 for an England player seems to be equivalent to 37 or 38 everywhere else. Is it the media that starts pushing players as finished when they have a bad spell at this sort of age? Is it just that the schedule is more relentless and draining than other countries have? We're still waiting for a 10,000 run or 400 wicket man so clearly something's not right.

beamer wrote:

Dello wrote:

vilkrang wrote:Best England spinner in my lifetime by quite some distance.

Series is lost so it doesn't really matter that there are two tests to go.

Unless the only other spinner on the tour gets injured.

Well, it's not illegal to go into a Test without a spinner... the second string are out there anyway aren't they?

It's kind of my fantasy to see Geoff Miller and Ashley Giles carted off in a paddy wagon just after the team's been announced.

Should've happened after Darren Pattinson...

Were they even around when the Roofer was picked? Could have applied to the Kerrigan pick, although we didn't anticipate quite how badly that one would turn out.

skully wrote:Retirement from FC cricket surprises me. IS Trev right about IPL becoming the Chinn's main income, or will he be snapped up by various commboxs. I think he'd be good in a Bumble chuckly type of way.

Anywho, congrats on a great, if prematurely ended, career, Mr Swann.

Swann's a natural in front of a camera, I think he's destined for a long (and highly lucrative!) career on TV/Radio

Basil wrote:

skully wrote:Retirement from FC cricket surprises me. IS Trev right about IPL becoming the Chinn's main income, or will he be snapped up by various commboxs. I think he'd be good in a Bumble chuckly type of way.

Anywho, congrats on a great, if prematurely ended, career, Mr Swann.

Swann's a natural in front of a camera, I think he's destined for a long (and highly lucrative!) career on TV/Radio

Question of Sport captain, probably, taking over from Tuffers... I can see him going in the jungle or something like that as well. And Fredalo-style "anything to get my face on TV" shows.

beamer wrote:

Basil wrote:

skully wrote:Retirement from FC cricket surprises me. IS Trev right about IPL becoming the Chinn's main income, or will he be snapped up by various commboxs. I think he'd be good in a Bumble chuckly type of way.

Anywho, congrats on a great, if prematurely ended, career, Mr Swann.

Swann's a natural in front of a camera, I think he's destined for a long (and highly lucrative!) career on TV/Radio

Question of Sport captain, probably, taking over from Tuffers... I can see him going in the jungle or something like that as well. And Fredalo-style "anything to get my face on TV" shows.

Yep, Tuffers without the irritating mockney accent.

embee wrote:

Dello wrote:

skully wrote:I reckon Chinn's good mate Jimmeh will be quite gutted at this turn of events.

How would we be able to tell? Looks a miserable f*cker at the best of times.

"Miserable" and "Northern" are very similar looks

Especially when mouthing the words "Fck off you Wozzie wozzack"

Basil wrote:

beamer wrote:

Basil wrote:

skully wrote:Retirement from FC cricket surprises me. IS Trev right about IPL becoming the Chinn's main income, or will he be snapped up by various commboxs. I think he'd be good in a Bumble chuckly type of way.

Anywho, congrats on a great, if prematurely ended, career, Mr Swann.

Swann's a natural in front of a camera, I think he's destined for a long (and highly lucrative!) career on TV/Radio

Question of Sport captain, probably, taking over from Tuffers... I can see him going in the jungle or something like that as well. And Fredalo-style "anything to get my face on TV" shows.

Yep, Tuffers without the irritating mockney accent.

The next Rory Bremner / Alistair MacGowan, surely?

He's been getting into practice already. Doing impressions of a Test spinner and lower-order Test batsman.

very strange to pull the pin mid tour. Swann doesn't seem to be suffering the same problems as Trott. It raises questions of did he jump or was he pushed.

Brass Monkey wrote:It's not a selfish decision. It's not an unselfish decision. The facts are he wasn't performing. There was a noticeable lack of revs in his bowling, maybe he just couldn't cope with giving it a rip any more, like his body couldn't hack it. Either way it's a huge surprise - especially retiring from all forms of international cricket - he's still one of the best ODI/T20I bowlers going.

Fair play to him anyway - a great performer for England.

Nice one Swanny.

A lot of nonsense on this thread. This ^ is the most sensible post.

They've just had the full press conference with him on Sky where he explained that injuries have made it difficult for him to bowl 30 overs and then recover for the 2nd innings. In his own words he said that he has felt his own performances tapering off and didn't feel that he justified a place in the team.

I don't doubt he's going to play a bit of IPL here and there. Its very lucrative fun and should suit him. Perhaps he's leaving the door slightly ajar for the upcoming T20 and 50 over World Cups if no-one nails down his sopot in the team - by suggesting its the recovery time from long spells that is the main issue.

It's hard to believe he was only a Test cricketer for 5 years. Given his talent he could have had 500 Test wickets, but seems like the experience of his first senior tour put people off him for a fair while. Whether an earlier call-up would have brought results or just seen him fail and be consigned to the scrapheap, we can only speculate about...

Big Dog wrote:very strange to pull the pin mid tour. Swann doesn't seem to be suffering the same problems as Trott. It raises questions of did he jump or was he pushed.

Its not that strange. When you're in your mid 30s and the inevitable decline sets in and you are perhaps going to get dropped its the best thing to do - rather than heap immediate pressure on your successor and to exit in a more dignified manner. Damien Martyn did the same thing a couple of Ashes series back.