Graeme Swann

[Hooksey]

The day before the Boxing Day Test Matt Prior worked a long session with Jonny Bairstow, and Bairstow was the one wearing the keeping gloves, and the guy pressing for Prior's position in the team.

Compare that to Graeme Swann who was more focussed on the newspaper he works for grabbing an exclusive, and to critisize "players in the dressing room", than fulfil his obligations as part of the England touring party.

Well played Matt Prior. Not so well played Graeme Swann.

 

[Hurricane]

I have it on good authority that Graeme Swann is in league with the devil.

 

[Adders]

The day before the Boxing Day Test Matt Prior worked a long session with Jonny Bairstow, and Bairstow was the one wearing the keeping gloves, and the guy pressing for Prior's position in the team.

Compare that to Graeme Swann who was more focussed on the newspaper he works for grabbing an exclusive, and to critisize "players in the dressing room", than fulfil his obligations as part of the England touring party.

Well played Matt Prior. Not so well played Graeme Swann.

The epitome of a team man and utter professional......Matty Prior will be back.

"I love Matty Prior" - YouTube

 

[Maximas]

tbf Matt Prior isn't retiring, he's just getting dropped, I don't blame Swann for wanting a few parting words (the team isn't above criticism from its players IMO) and then heading off for christmas.

 

[Adders]

tbf Matt Prior isn't retiring, he's just getting dropped, I don't blame Swann for wanting a few parting words (the team isn't above criticism from its players IMO) and then heading off for christmas.

Until I hear anything firm to the contrary I'm of the belief that Swann was going to be dropped for the Melbourne test which has prompted his mid tour retirement. Hooksey makes a very fair point in comparing Swanns reaction to be being dropped to Priors......and that's why "I love Matty Prior"

I also posted in the Haddin V's Prior thread some tweets Prior made about his being dropped...........bloke is all class.

 

[Hooksey]

tbf Matt Prior isn't retiring, he's just getting dropped, I don't blame Swann for wanting a few parting words (the team isn't above criticism from its players IMO) and then heading off for christmas.

Swann was very likely "just getting dropped" too, until he decided to retire.

(if the quotes attributed to Panesar are correct that was the case)

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

I don't really know what to think about his retirement, really. On the one hand, I think the decision to retire mid-series was on the softer decide, but at the same time, if he didn't think he could contribute (and I'm not sure he could), it was probably the right time to go. Whatever - it's his career. I just think that as far as cricketing retirements go, it has certainly been one of the more undignified ones. Certainly, part of that is probably the spirit that this series has been played in and also the way the media has responded. But you can't really help but contrasting the manner of Swann's exit and the way that the likes of Ponting, Tendulkar and Kallis exited the game. In the latter cases, the focus has been on their achievements in the game, and not them lobbing bombs at unnamed teammates.

It's a matter for him, but I think he'll probably end up regretting the way his retirement has gone. Furthermore, I don't think it has at all helped a team that is already knee deep in horse manure as it is.

 

[Jono]

Where the thread is isn't the issue, it's that this forum is infested by some bad posters.

Similar junk posting about Swann to the posting by your mate Sledger when Sachin retired tbh

 

[GIMH]

Similar junk posting about Swann to the posting by your mate Sledger when Sachin retired tbh

Was only in the lead up to his retirement tbf. Pretty sure Sledger was banned when he actually retired

 

[Adders]

It's a matter for him, but I think he'll probably end up regretting the way his retirement has gone. Furthermore, I don't think it has at all helped a team that is already knee deep in horse manure as it is.

100% agree with this.

 

[uvelocity]

can only hope his retirement is exceeded in dirge by andreson's

 

[BoyBrumby]

If I was going to put money on the reasons for his pulling the plug, I'd say this was up there in the possibility stakes. The selectorial fig-leaf of publicly announcing that one's going of one's own volition whilst they shove you under the train seems to be the way a lot of distinguished test careers end.

Moreover, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that Prior is missing from Melbourne having had a similar convo with the panel but probably, at 31, fancies his chances of fighting his way back in.

Paying that, tbh.

 

[Jono]

Yep.

 

[Furball]

I don't really know what to think about his retirement, really. On the one hand, I think the decision to retire mid-series was on the softer decide, but at the same time, if he didn't think he could contribute (and I'm not sure he could), it was probably the right time to go. Whatever - it's his career. I just think that as far as cricketing retirements go, it has certainly been one of the more undignified ones. Certainly, part of that is probably the spirit that this series has been played in and also the way the media has responded. But you can't really help but contrasting the manner of Swann's exit and the way that the likes of Ponting, Tendulkar and Kallis exited the game. In the latter cases, the focus has been on their achievements in the game, and not them lobbing bombs at unnamed teammates. It's a matter for him, but I think he'll probably end up regretting the way his retirement has gone. Furthermore, I don't think it has at all helped a team that is already knee deep in horse manure as it is.

How were the retirements of Ponting and Tendulkar, who clung on until the bitter end, more dignified than Swann's?Tendulkar's retirement was the most horrible, contrived piece of nonsense I've seen.

 

[Spark]

Nah let's not be silly here. They at least got a chance to celebrate their careers. Whatever you think of the timing, Swann's retirement and the hullabaloo that followed is just about the most undignified way it could have gone.

 

[Jono]

How were the retirements of Ponting and Tendulkar, who clung on until the bitter end, more dignified than Swann's?Tendulkar's retirement was the most horrible, contrived piece of nonsense I've seen.

You said you were drunk in the Boxing Day match thread, and its showing. That or England being piss weak this Ashes series has fried your brain

 

[Hurricane]

Nah let's not be silly here. They at least got a chance to celebrate their careers. Whatever you think of the timing, Swann's retirement and the hullabaloo that followed is just about the most undignified way it could have gone.

My favourite part of CW is seeing words I have only heard before written down for the first time. Nice use of hullabaloo

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Swann should have gone and kept his gob shut till after the series was over seeing as he was going mid series. Been a farce he has badmouthed people (Warner) during the series but there you go, what's done is done and can't be taken back. I bet if you asked him now he'd have done it differently though.

 

[Son Of Coco]

How were the retirements of Ponting and Tendulkar, who clung on until the bitter end, more dignified than Swann's?Tendulkar's retirement was the most horrible, contrived piece of nonsense I've seen.

They didn't jump ship mid-series when they were getting smashed and the team was losing, and they didn't bag people on the way out mate. It's not difficult to see the difference.

In Ponting's case, he was recognised as offering a lot to the team environment, and if he'd have done what Swann did then he would've also copped it. You can kind of get away with it if the team has won (ala Martyn - but it was still seen as strange), but when you duck out mid-series after you've been hammered it just looks piss poor. Puts your replacements in a tough position too, they have to come into a team that is struggling and try to perform when morale is probably pretty low and many are looking at the series as done and dusted.