Warne questions Strauss’s leadership, says he ‘misses tricks’

MELBOURNE - Legendary spinner Shane Warne has hit out at the functioning style of Andrew Strauss, saying that the England captain “misses tricks” when it comes to tactics.

Warne believes Strauss isn’t helping his frontline spin bowler Graeme Swann, and by not using him enough is also threatening to wear out his pacers.

He said England’s pace trio looked “very tired” after the third Ashes Test and that had a lot to do with not using Swann for more than 25 overs at the WACA ground.

“Andrew Strauss’s captaincy of the team has to improve. He is a wonderful leader of men, he speaks well and is calm, but tactically he misses tricks,” Warne wrote in his column for The Telegraph.

“Some of the fields he set for Graeme Swann allowed Australia to dominate the best spinner in the world. He also bowled the quicks into the ground and some look very tired after only three Tests,” he wrote.

Warne firmly believes Strauss is being too defensive when he hands the ball to Swann and that is playing into Australia’s game plan of going after the off-spinner as much as possible.

He feels the English captain would do better to back his bowler with aggressive fields when the Ashes battle resumes at the MCG on Boxing Day, FOX Sports reports. (ANI)