I don't agree with those calling him a "bottler". I've just been back on page 19 of this thread and a number of people were saying if a senior player didn't feel up to it or didn't have the heart they should go. Well Swann has done just that:
"I know I'm making the decision for the right reasons," added Swann. "My body doesn't like playing five-day cricket any more and I don't feel I can justify my spot in the team in the latter stages of a game. As a spinner, that's when you need to come into your own."
He was honest and said that if he couldn't contribute then he shouldn't be part of the team so he has retired two tests earlier than planned.
I personally will miss him. He added character to a team that lacked it, who will step up in that role now? Also who will replace his wicket taking ability? Monty is a good bowler but SLA probably won't take as many wickets as off spin so we will rely on him keeping an end tight while our faster bowlers try to get the wickets.
Real shame to lose Swanny and his contribution to English cricket.
Can't see how anyone can defend someone retiring mid series. If he knew he was going to be going, at least let Panesar play the last 2 tests but stay on with the team in camp. If you accept all the praise from the good times you've got to face up to bad times.
Can't see how anyone can defend someone retiring mid series. If he knew he was going to be going, at least let Panesar play the last 2 tests but stay on with the team in camp. If you accept all the praise from the good times you've got to face up to bad times.
Bottler
Quite right, bloke with 255 Test wickets at an average of 29 - better than any contemporary bar Saeed Ajmal - three time Ashes winner and former number 1 ranked spinner in the world is a "bottler" - yeah, you've nailed it there.
This is a bloke who took 26 wickets in the last Ashes and won us the series!
Can't see how anyone can defend someone retiring mid series. If he knew he was going to be going, at least let Panesar play the last 2 tests but stay on with the team in camp. If you accept all the praise from the good times you've got to face up to bad times.
Bottler
Quite right, bloke with 255 Test wickets at an average of 29 - better than any contemporary bar Saeed Ajmal - three time Ashes winner and former number 1 ranked spinner in the world is a "bottler" - yeah, you've nailed it there.
This is a bloke who took 26 wickets in the last Ashes and won us the series!
Jesus wept.
His achievements in cricket mean nothing when talking about bottle.
I have loved watching swann demoralise almost every batsman in world cricket but leaving halfway through a series that you're getting demolished in because he's basically 'given up' is bottling it. No two ways about it
Can't see how anyone can defend someone retiring mid series. If he knew he was going to be going, at least let Panesar play the last 2 tests but stay on with the team in camp. If you accept all the praise from the good times you've got to face up to bad times.
Bottler
Quite right, bloke with 255 Test wickets at an average of 29 - better than any contemporary bar Saeed Ajmal - three time Ashes winner and former number 1 ranked spinner in the world is a "bottler" - yeah, you've nailed it there.
This is a bloke who took 26 wickets in the last Ashes and won us the series!
Jesus wept.
Completely beside the point. Swann has been fantastic for England, and one of my favorite players over the years. But by just jumping ship mid series he has undermined the rest of the England squad and for me, he has bottled it. He has just jumped ship as soon as we've lost. If he doesn't feel up to it anymore, fine. But tell Andy Flower that in private, let Panesar play the last 2 tests but stick around and support your team mates, rather than just flying out of there and making morale even lower, giving the aussies morale another boost, and making a tough trip even tougher.
Not impressed at all. As way of punishment for being pony for at least the last 3/4 years he should have been forced to finish the series in my humble opinion.
This is a joke right? One of Englands best spinners of the ball and wasn't too shabby with the bat. Not been at the races in this Ashes series but I am guessing that the injury he had to his elbow has taken its toll.
Can't see how anyone can defend someone retiring mid series. If he knew he was going to be going, at least let Panesar play the last 2 tests but stay on with the team in camp. If you accept all the praise from the good times you've got to face up to bad times.
Bottler
Quite right, bloke with 255 Test wickets at an average of 29 - better than any contemporary bar Saeed Ajmal - three time Ashes winner and former number 1 ranked spinner in the world is a "bottler" - yeah, you've nailed it there.
This is a bloke who took 26 wickets in the last Ashes and won us the series!
Jesus wept.
His achievements in cricket mean nothing when talking about bottle.
I have loved watching swann demoralise almost every batsman in world cricket but leaving halfway through a series that you're getting demolished in because he's basically 'given up' is bottling it. No two ways about it
What bollocks.
He has admitted that he physically cannot do what used to be able to so has put his hand up and called it a day, that takes far more guts than keeping his head down and taking the easy money on offer.
Rather than mouthing off about him bottling it, please explain why a bloke who has already decided to retire should play two more Tests just to keep up appearances? What value does that bring to the team?
Swann's bowling is getting collared and his batting is gone, so why make the team carry a passenger other than to appease the reactionaries?
This England side - as anyone who knows the first thing about cricket can recognise - has reached the end of the road and Swann has decided that we should start the re-building as soon as possible - it is the best thing for everyone.
Can't see how anyone can defend someone retiring mid series. If he knew he was going to be going, at least let Panesar play the last 2 tests but stay on with the team in camp. If you accept all the praise from the good times you've got to face up to bad times.
Bottler
Quite right, bloke with 255 Test wickets at an average of 29 - better than any contemporary bar Saeed Ajmal - three time Ashes winner and former number 1 ranked spinner in the world is a "bottler" - yeah, you've nailed it there.
This is a bloke who took 26 wickets in the last Ashes and won us the series!
Jesus wept.
His achievements in cricket mean nothing when talking about bottle.
I have loved watching swann demoralise almost every batsman in world cricket but leaving halfway through a series that you're getting demolished in because he's basically 'given up' is bottling it. No two ways about it
What bollocks.
He has admitted that he physically cannot do what used to be able to so has put his hand up and called it a day, that takes far more guts than keeping his head down and taking the easy money on offer.
Rather than mouthing off about him bottling it, please explain why a bloke who has already decided to retire should play two more Tests just to keep up appearances? What value does that bring to the team?
Swann's bowling is getting collared and his batting is gone, so why make the team carry a passenger other than to appease the reactionaries?
This England side - as anyone who knows the first thing about cricket can recognise - has reached the end of the road and Swann has decided that we should start the re-building as soon as possible - it is the best thing for everyone.
i apologise. you are obviously angrier and righter than me!
Thank you so much Swanny for leaving mid series. Thank you for helping us start re-building mid series. Thank you for being the bigger man and deciding once three down that maybe this is all a bit long and you'd rather be at home with the kids.
.....also i'm not mouthing off about him bottling, just pointing out that it's bad form to leave mid series. As other people have pointed out, he could have stayed on and given his support to the rest of the lads and announced his retirement at the end even if he wasn't going to be playing in the last two. It's supposed to be a gentlemans sport and i think Swanny has done the ungentlemanly thing here.
Would you want to hang around knowing that you are there just to give the other team members support and watching the game from the sidelines? Give the guy a break he has deserved it.
What if yann decided in February/march that enough was enough and he was going back to France now as his contracts up at the end of the year and he's just gonna retire early as he's not physically able to do what he used to be able to do?
All the players have had nothing but great things to say about Swann on their own personal twitter pages. Stuff they don't have to say.
I'm not sure I agree with announcing retirement officially in the middle of series but what's done is done and we need to look at the future. I think Flower probably told him he wasn't going to play a part in the rest of the series and needed to fight his way back into the side and Swann realised there was no way back for his head.
He said that before travelling, he felt it might be his last tour with the England cricket team.
its not about the dressing room though is it, I said I have always though the bloke had a bigger ego than KP and everytime I hear him speak he seems a bit of a ego loon,
this decision is all about swann nothing more nothing else, its his last look at me before he goes
Is a selfish thing to do, selfless thing was retire after last series
exactly , that however would've been over shadowed by the reporting of a terrible embarrassing shambolic tour and poor swannys retirement would've got lost in the back ground
now the aussies will feel great they have disassembled a great team on this tour
we sent trot home in a mess
we made swann retire
we cost flower his job and cook the captaincy (potentially)
not only did we win the ashes but we demolished their resolve
Amazing how these problems all occur when we're getting battered
I'd rather he said I'm being dropped for the last tests and with retirement imminent I'm going to take this opportunity to spend Christmas with the family and retire earlier than I anticipated
What was the tweeting controversy with his brother or someone ??
What if yann decided in February/march that enough was enough and he was going back to France now as his contracts up at the end of the year and he's just gonna retire early as he's not physically able to do what he used to be able to do?
Would you be best pleased?
Haha, I'd be gutted. But I would respect him for making the decision.
Would you want to hang around knowing that you are there just to give the other team members support and watching the game from the sidelines? Give the guy a break he has deserved it.
I thought that is what is expected of a squad member. No player has the divine right to say I am a team member but not a squad member. Otherwise Messrs Finn, Bairstow and Rankin might have left the tour a long time ago.
The Swann r word comment wasn't a tweet, but rather a Facebook message to his brother which became public because his brother's accounts isn't private.
Comments
"I know I'm making the decision for the right reasons," added Swann. "My body doesn't like playing five-day cricket any more and I don't feel I can justify my spot in the team in the latter stages of a game. As a spinner, that's when you need to come into your own."
He was honest and said that if he couldn't contribute then he shouldn't be part of the team so he has retired two tests earlier than planned.
I personally will miss him. He added character to a team that lacked it, who will step up in that role now? Also who will replace his wicket taking ability? Monty is a good bowler but SLA probably won't take as many wickets as off spin so we will rely on him keeping an end tight while our faster bowlers try to get the wickets.
Real shame to lose Swanny and his contribution to English cricket.
Bottler
This is a bloke who took 26 wickets in the last Ashes and won us the series!
Jesus wept.
I have loved watching swann demoralise almost every batsman in world cricket but leaving halfway through a series that you're getting demolished in because he's basically 'given up' is bottling it. No two ways about it
Completely beside the point. Swann has been fantastic for England, and one of my favorite players over the years. But by just jumping ship mid series he has undermined the rest of the England squad and for me, he has bottled it. He has just jumped ship as soon as we've lost. If he doesn't feel up to it anymore, fine. But tell Andy Flower that in private, let Panesar play the last 2 tests but stick around and support your team mates, rather than just flying out of there and making morale even lower, giving the aussies morale another boost, and making a tough trip even tougher.
He has admitted that he physically cannot do what used to be able to so has put his hand up and called it a day, that takes far more guts than keeping his head down and taking the easy money on offer.
Rather than mouthing off about him bottling it, please explain why a bloke who has already decided to retire should play two more Tests just to keep up appearances? What value does that bring to the team?
Swann's bowling is getting collared and his batting is gone, so why make the team carry a passenger other than to appease the reactionaries?
This England side - as anyone who knows the first thing about cricket can recognise - has reached the end of the road and Swann has decided that we should start the re-building as soon as possible - it is the best thing for everyone.
if he had been thinking about it a while then don't go in the first place or retire when the tour finishes not the chance for the last bit of glory,
more to do with his controversial tweet and the abuse he got and the fact he is able to foresee the scape goat that the press will look for,
you can not deny his achievements and his quality, but I have always thought that the bloke is a bigger ego than KP and is more of a prick than KP
this has just proved those thoughts right
Thank you so much Swanny for leaving mid series. Thank you for helping us start re-building mid series. Thank you for being the bigger man and deciding once three down that maybe this is all a bit long and you'd rather be at home with the kids.
.....also i'm not mouthing off about him bottling, just pointing out that it's bad form to leave mid series. As other people have pointed out, he could have stayed on and given his support to the rest of the lads and announced his retirement at the end even if he wasn't going to be playing in the last two. It's supposed to be a gentlemans sport and i think Swanny has done the ungentlemanly thing here.
i apologise. you are obviously angrier and righter than me
brilliant line
KP? Ahem.
Would you be best pleased?
I'm not sure I agree with announcing retirement officially in the middle of series but what's done is done and we need to look at the future. I think Flower probably told him he wasn't going to play a part in the rest of the series and needed to fight his way back into the side and Swann realised there was no way back for his head.
He said that before travelling, he felt it might be his last tour with the England cricket team.
this decision is all about swann nothing more nothing else, its his last look at me before he goes
exactly , that however would've been over shadowed by the reporting of a terrible embarrassing shambolic tour and poor swannys retirement would've got lost in the back ground
now the aussies will feel great they have disassembled a great team on this tour
we sent trot home in a mess
we made swann retire
we cost flower his job and cook the captaincy (potentially)
not only did we win the ashes but we demolished their resolve
I'd rather he said I'm being dropped for the last tests and with retirement imminent I'm going to take this opportunity to spend Christmas with the family and retire earlier than I anticipated
What was the tweeting controversy with his brother or someone ??
You can't knock his record or his comitment to this point but you can question his motives and reasons now
Only 32, sad to see players without career ending injuries retire early. Probably looked at Flintoff and thought there is money to be had here.
What will be first, Strictly, Masterchef, Big Brother or Jungle ?