Warne Praises English Team. Again.

[Caesar]

I understand he knows which side his bread is buttered, but will this man's fellating of the English never cease?

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5h7LUe_HeLCElZ9ljLTktunlGpBCw

Shane Warne is predicting a tight Ashes series - and has earmarked Graeme Swann as the player who can make things uncomfortable for Australia.

The former Australian leg-spinner is looking forward to this winter's series and believes England are in the strongest shape to challenge for the urn Down Under for more than 20 years.

Warne said: "They can challenge us for the first time since 1986-87. It will be a good series. I think it'll be close. Our home record over the last few years hasn't been as strong. They lost to South Africa and drew with India."

I like him and think he's a good commentator, but he loves to talk up the Auld Enemy.

 

[Phone]

Bloody non-biased commentators!


oh wait.

 

[Santana]

Drew with India?

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

There's unbiased and then there's sucking up. Warne tosses English salad whenever the Ashes comes around.

 

[holybishop]

He's no longer an Australian player. Someone should remind the Nine commentators that fact.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

He's no longer an Australian player. Someone should remind the Nine commentators that fact.

He'll say whatever he thinks his audience wants to hear. Look at the garbage he comes out with while he is in charge of the Royals in the IPL or sitting alongside Modi in some media conference. He has no shame.

 

[Indian_Hotdog]

Drew with India?

He knows what should have been

 

[Yaaablett]

He knows what should have been

Not sure he does but I do. After Sydney India should have left. But you run the ICC so I guess that works out well for you.

A very poor human being is your racist off spinner, made worse by the innocent act after.

 

[sherb]

He knows what should have been

Indeed.

If only India hadn't choked in the Sydney test when a draw was there for the taking, losing their last three wickets in an over to Clarke of all people.

 

[leg_break]

I think a lot of what he says is fair enough. The England team atm is looking pretty solid under Flower and the Australian team has a few uncertainties, such as Ponting and Hussey's form and the inexperienced bowling attack. Think he overrates swann a bit, but saying that it will be a close series sounds accurate to me.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

I think a lot of what he says is fair enough. The England team atm is looking pretty solid under Flower and the Australian team has a few uncertainties, such as Ponting and Hussey's form and the inexperienced bowling attack. Think he overrates swann a bit, but saying that it will be a close series sounds accurate to me.

I think a lot of what he says is fair enough as well, on this particular issue, but considering the way he talks about almost everything these days, he'd say that even if they were crap because he's commentating for them at present.

Edit: And I agree with you about Swann as well. I'll be really surprised if he runs through the Aussies in Australia the way people seem to be expecting him to. I'd be more wary of Broad on our pitches than Swann.

 

[sherb]

He'll say whatever he thinks his audience wants to hear. Look at the garbage he comes out with while he is in charge of the Royals in the IPL or sitting alongside Modi in some media conference. He has no shame.

That's pretty well it, along with what cause he needs to spruik at the time.

Didn't he say that one of the hundreds tonked in the IPL was the best hundred he'd ever seen? Apparently he wasn't looking then when he saw some of the hundreds hit by Lara, Tendulkar, Laxman, Ponting, et al over the years. But then, there's nothing in Test or ODI Cricket for Warne these days, is there.

 

[Carntas]

When has anyone really given much thought to what Shane Warne has to say?

England will struggle to win the Ashes series outright in the coming summer. Onions is out injured. All signs point to a 4 man attack of Anderson, Broad, Finn and Swann.

Anderson averages something like 40+ outside of England. He won't worry the Australians at all. If the ball isn't swing than Anderson really struggles.

Broad is a threat, but his still young. He is still inconsistent.

Finn is 21, and it is a massive ask to expect a kid to lead the charge in an Ashes campaign.

Swann will join the list of overseas spinners that come here and get belted.

England hold the ashes, which basically means that if they win a test match than we have to win two in order to regain them. That is an advantage.

I can't see England winning the series, they would fancy their chances of retaining the urn in a drawn series however. In 2006, I think that's what Fletcher was trying to do by playing bowlers for their batting ability. His thought process would have been, whatever happens, get 400+ in the first innings and secure a draw if batting second, or push for a win if batting first with scoreboard pressure.

From what I saw in the recent series in SA earlier this year was an England team that still relies on pitch conditions too much. They, on rights, deserved to lose that series 3-1.