Andrew Strauss’ planned absence from England’s tour of Bangladesh has come under fire from Australian spin king Shane Warne.
Retired Test great Warne has hit out at the decision to rest Strauss from England’s two Tests against Bangladesh, telling reporters that: "It's disappointing that the captain of England decides to have a rest from a Test series, I can't comprehend that. Any time you represent your country it's special and I cannot understand how you can rest your captain.”
Warne is not the only one who believes Strauss should front up for the Test matches against Bangladesh either, although Steve Harmison, who will no doubt be hoping against hope for an Ashes recall come the end of the year, qualified his opinion somewhat when speaking to Sky Sports News.
"Personally, I would have liked to have seen him go for the two Test matches, even if he got there the day before the match,” Harmison said, although the Durham bowler added, “but I know what it's like to be on the treadmill of international cricket and you do need a break."
"When we get to Australia time [at the end of the year] this break will have done him the world of good, but Alastair Cook is captain and the ECB are looking at the future, which is the right move.”
While Warne worries that the other 10 men in the team will struggle to adjust to a new style of captaincy under Cook, as Strauss enjoys some rest and recreation, Harmison may be on the money with his assessment of the future benefits those decisions might bring.
Better the rest of the team get a taste of captain Cook against Bangladesh now, than find themselves in a completely unfamiliar situation during the Ashes series later this year.
Imagine the scenario: Mitchell Johnson finds himself back at his menacing best with the new ball in front of a full house at the MCG on Boxing Day. Strauss attempts to fend away a fast rising delivery but doesn’t quite manage it and it catches him on the gloves with enough force to break bones. It’s not so far from the scenario that occurred between Johnson and Graeme Smith back in 2008/09.
What then? Strauss is off the field, maybe he misses the next Test too. Cook gets tapped on the shoulder to lead the team and neither player nor teammates know quite what to expect next.
Surely it’s better for England as they look towards what is the ultimate goal for the year – retaining the Ashes when they head to Australia – that Cook serves an apprenticeship now. And surely it’s also more important that Strauss is fresh for that challenge, rather than what is if we are to be honest about it, not the greatest challenge England will face in 2010.
"I hope they are not taking Bangladesh too easy because they can be quite strong,” Warne said. “What if they [Bangladesh] win the first Test? Does Strauss fly out for the second? I hope it's not the start of a trend. It's a lack of respect for Test cricket.”
And he might have a point, at least about the comparative strength of the Bangladesh side when they are playing at home compared to their away performances. But Bangladesh’s current form touring in New Zealand has been so insipid that it will take a spectacular turnaround if they are to challenge England, even on home soil.
And while Bangladesh may be improving, the reality is until they faced a West Indies side crippled by player strikes last year, they had a grand total of one Test victory – against a failing Zimbabwe side – to their name. They now have three.
That of course means there will be a lot of red faces in the England camp should Strauss’ absence contribute to Bangladesh claiming their first Test victory over a strong Test-playing side.
But weigh that risk against the potential benefits of a rejuvenated Strauss and a second-in-command with some experience under his belt come the Ashes and the scales surely tip in the favour of the current turn of events.
Warne may well rail against Strauss’ decision to put his feet up for a bit, but he need not worry about any perceived “disrespect” for Test cricket as a result of the skipper’s absence in Bangladesh either. It is precisely because of the esteem in which the Middlesex opener holds Test cricket’s most coveted prize – the Ashes urn – that he won’t be getting on a plane for this tour.
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