Graeme Swann: Great All-Rounder

Just a thought........

Averaging 40 in tests with the bat, under 30 with the ball. Three michelles in 13 tests, is it?

A century and a couple more michelles, then I'll be closer to agreeing.

If he kept that up over 80 tests i'd be impressed.

He is however, a good solid test cricketer. And to think he could easily have played in the 2005 Ashes....

It's a shame he started his test career so late, though as he is a spinner he could conceivably have a good 5 years left in him.

If he manages to keep his batting average somewhere near 30 over his Test career, he'll have done a bloody good job.

The more the Broad/Swann combo keep scoring the more pressure there is on the likes of Ian Bell.

I hope they don't move them up the order though - its a current strength of this England side that we bat so deep.

Rob I wrote:Just a thought........

Averaging 40 in tests with the bat, under 30 with the ball. Three michelles in 13 tests, is it?

So you would pick him as batsman?

Mind you. you have Bell at 6.

He bats at No. 9 FFS - he is not an allrounder.

Don't tamper with him, don't move him - he can do damage from where he is or at no.8, but no higher.

taipan wrote:

Rob I wrote:Just a thought........

Averaging 40 in tests with the bat, under 30 with the ball. Three michelles in 13 tests, is it?

So you would pick him as batsman?

Mind you. you have Bell at 6.

At least Swanny didn't shoulder arms to a straight one.

That was the sort of thing that Mike Gatting used to do on his bad days. Mind you, Bell will never do enough to compensate, like hitting 200 in India or skippering an Ashes-retaining side like Gatt.

But let's not forget that Swanny was kept out of the team for donkey's years by one of the best spinners the world has ever seen.

Or Ashley Giles.

One of those.

I'd snap him up as the no. 8 for Aus if he was born in this country.

Loving the renewed retrospective rage at Giles.

Wasn't really Gilo's fault that he was so beloved by the Feltch-Vorn Axis.

Could've done the decent thing.

Suicide is painless.

doremi wrote:Loving the renewed retrospective rage at Giles.

Gilo gave it his all and forged a decent career for himself. He did a job. I don't think anyone really thought he was test class during the time he played did they?