Graeme Swann hit back at criticism from Graham Gooch over his decision to retire mid-way through England’s ill-fated Ashes tour last winter, saying his only regret was going on the tour in the first place.
Swann defended his call to retire ahead of the fourth Test with England already 3-0 down and the Ashes lost. He claimed his elbow injury had become so severe he could not bowl and his continued selection was actually harmful to England. He took just seven wickets at 80.00 in the first three Tests of the series.
But Gooch, England’s former batting coach, told the Daily Telegraph that Swann’s decision was “criminal” and made England “a laughing stock”. “I cannot understand why he couldn’t stick it out until the end of the trip,” Gooch said. “It left a bad taste.”
Swann stands by his decision: “I don’t think it is right and proper to carry on in a sport when you are a hindrance to the team,” Swann said, speaking as a BT Sport ambassador. “Some people think differently; some people think you should carry on regardless, but I don’t and I never will.”
Swann had surgery for the second time on his right elbow in March 2013 – eight months before the Ashes tour – but recovered to take 26 wickets, the highest tally of either side, in the home Ashes series that preceded the tour that England lost 5-0, after which Gooch was sacked as England’s batting coach.
“Gooch is very old-school,” Swann said. “We haven’t sat down and talked about it to get my perspective. Then he would see the reasons why I did it. I just couldn’t turn the cricket ball, which, as a spin bowler, means you are useless to your team. It wasn’t a form thing, it was succumbing to the inevitable.
“In retrospect, I shouldn’t have gone on the tour at all. I wish I had read the signs more rather than just thinking James Anderson will get 30 wickets, I will only have to hold one end up, I will be fine and we will win the Ashes. That is my only regret.”
Swann, who took 255 Test wickets for England, also said the storm over Kevin Pietersen’s autobiography will quickly pass. Swann is named in the book as one of the “bullies” who divided England’s dressing room – allegations Swann strongly rebukes.
“Someone is trying to sell a book at the moment, in two weeks’ time no one will give a monkey’s,” Swann said. “You can’t talk for other people but I think Pietersen has not done himself any favours in the long run. But Kev’s always been different. Certain things that people have been led to believe didn’t happen. The very fact is that people have been interviewed and no one is supporting these claims.
“There might have been a cleaner way of doing things and there would certainly have been a lot less blood-letting.”
