Lehmann urges greats to back under-fire Australia
Coach Darren Lehmann on Sunday urged former greats to get behind the Australian team for this week’s Ashes Test series opener against England following uproar over the selection of the squad.
Shane Warne led the chorus of disapproval of the 13-man squad, saying “Australia look confused”, while his former legspin Test bowling partner Stuart MacGill lashed the selectors as “morons”.
Wicketkeeper Tim Paine was chosen for his first Test in seven years and 34-year-old Shaun Marsh was recalled to the Test side for the eighth time in controversial selections announced on Friday.
“Everyone is entitled to their opinion, aren’t they?” Lehmann told reporters in Brisbane, where the first Ashes Test begins on Thursday.
“I’d just like all our players, ex-players, to be really positive about the Australian cricket team.
“Let’s just get everyone from Australia behind the Australian cricket team and let’s get moving D LEHMANN, Australia coach
forward.”
Paine is in the Test side despite not keeping in any of Tasmania’s three Sheffield Shield games this season and spending much of the previous season as an understudy.
“We’ve watched him keep a fair bit,” Lehmann said. “Obviously
T20s and the chairman’s game ... he’s a high-quality keeper.
“I was very impressed with him down in the Adelaide game when he played against England. He’s been in good form with the gloves, as he always has been, and he has been very good for us in the T20s.”
BRISBANE: Let’s just get everyone from Australia behind the Australian cricket team and let’s get moving forward
ENGLAND ‘CONTENT, RELAXED, EXCITED’
England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow said the tourists were “content, relaxed, excited” ahead of this week’s opening Ashes Test.
“Content, relaxed, excited,” the Bairstow told reporters at Brisbane airport when asked to sum up the mood in the camp. “We’re ready to go, we’re excited about the prospect of the first Test.
“We know that we’ve worked hard leading up to this Test match but it’s about how we front up on the first morning of the first Test at the Gabba when everyone’s watching. (But) if you can’t get up for an Ashes series, if you can’t get up for England against Australia, what can you get up for?”
SYDNEY: