Graeme Swann retires

[barmyarmy]

I think "main reason" is really pushing it...

 

[War]

Exactly three days passed by since I posted this, and this happens....



Monumental loss for England, who will miss his aggressive spin bowling, quality slip fielding, banters, and useful late runs with the bat. Personally just shell shocked.

Shell shocked indeed. I always thought he had the winning the world cup and reaching Underwood's record as ENG leading wicket-taking spinner in history as priorities.

I remember making this thread - http://www.planetcricket.org/forums/cricket-discussion/graeme-swann-vs-jim-laker-legacy-english-spinners-79050.html & the BBC article about it - BBC Sport - England v India: Is Graeme Swann better than Jim Laker?

He probably did enough in more conditions world wide to be rated about Laker as ENG's greatest spinner IMO & is probably on par with Underwood/Verity as the best all-round spinner ever for ENG & he wouldn't look out of place on bit in a England All-time XI as the sole spinner.

Of current ENG, a spinner can still play since the emergence of Stoke means that ENG will have the luxury if 5 bowlers, that will give the new spinner to learn on the job as AUS did with Nathan Lyon.

Cause lets be frank Panesar only bowl well when he played alongside Swann - especially in Asian conditions. I don't trust him as the main spinner. Young Kerrigan & Briggs aren't good enough.

England might have to raid Ireland again & try to tempt George Dockrell to join the ranks

 

[ste_mc_efc]

hmm, average of 29.96

And?

 

[barmyarmy]

I was thinking about this a bit more and it almost feels like a bereavement. Swann has been England heart and soul for the last few years and a little something magic dies with his retirement.
I can't be bothered with the clowns who talk about selfish timing or protecting his average (sorry clowns). The guy deserves our total respect and admiration.

The best England player of the last 20 years.

 

[ste_mc_efc]

I find it hard to believe that someone who has what it takes to be successfull as an elite level sportsman would be so self-conscious an neurotic about a superficial milestone.

 

[shravi]

The best England player of the last 20 years.

Maybe most indispensable. But definitely not the best. However, this is not the time to discuss his ability, but to salute his service to English cricket.

He was a great servant to English cricket and he accomplished so much in such little time (I think he only made his test debut at 29?). Three Ashes triumphs is something he can be very proud of. Also, England may not have been the most attractive team, but they were a worthy number 1 for a while. Everybody knew their roles and it was a well oiled machine. Their methodical, robotic approach to cricket was admirable in its own way. Swann was a vital, irreplaceable cog in that.

 

[War]

The best England player of the last 20 years.

Hmm, not sure if i'd go that far. Would still put Thorpe, KP, Stewart, Flintoff ahead of him.

But along with KP & Flintoff - he could one of hardest, of the best players of the last 20 years, to be replaced adequately.

In Stokes - the Flintoff replacement has come quicker than the Botham all-rounder replacement, it seems. However, ENG are not going to find another KP style batsmen anytime soon.

With Swann given that he is clearly the first world class spinner ENG had since Underwood & best off-spinner since Laker - ENG may not have such a spinner for a while. We may have to go back to days of having Giles/Croft/Tuffnell type spinners who were just support bowlers to the pacemen.

 

[barmyarmy]

We're really replacing Flintoff based on one innings?

 

[War]

, England may not have been the most attractive team, but they were a worthy number 1 for a while.

Ha fans & journalist always state this mistake. ENG were never # 1. That was a ranking system error just like when IND were # 1. The only time ENG were # 1 in test history was - 1951-1958.

 

[barmyarmy]

Well the ICC handed over the mace at any rate.

 

[War]

We're really replacing Flintoff based on one innings?

Key word in that statement: "it seems". Reservations can be made that Stokes can flop in the future & not live up to his talent no doubt, but I would be surprised if Stokes doesn't adequately replace Flintoff.

 

[shravi]

Ha fans & journalist always state this mistake. ENG were never # 1. That was a ranking system error just like when IND were # 1. The only time ENG were # 1 in test history was - 1951-1958.

That is what we have to go by though, not some random dates strung together on Joe's blog.

 

[MUFC1987]

Swann's been great for us as a spinner and for me, it shows that there can be guys in County Cricket doing well who can get the chance and really become one of the best in the world. I think what he'll be remembered for most though is being the main person behind that culture in the England side. Coming off a lot of people who took cricket very seriously, it was great to see someone who could have a laugh with it all as well as being very good. That celebration after they retained the Ashes on the last Aussie tour will certainly live long in the memory, with him leading the way.

This does seem to have come full circle though, with the guys who brought in this culture now seemingly imploding and falling apart at the seams, especially if his alleged comments are true.

 

[barmyarmy]

About anal rape?
Sort of joke my friends make without it ending up in national newspapers.

 

[War]

Well the ICC handed over the mace at any rate.

I don't think you wanted to using anything the ICC does as a guide of correctness. They were about to hand Michael Clarke to mace if they had defeated S Africa in Perth last year -

That is what we have to go by though, not some random dates strung together on Joe's blog.

Random dates?. So when historians regularly say Australia was # 1 from 95-2007 or Windies # 1 from 76-91 - were those random strung up dates as well?