Lehmann urges ex 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". Wicket-keeper Tim Paine was chosen for his first Test in seven years and 34-yearold Shaun Marsh was recalled to the Test side for the eighth time in controversial selections announced.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion, aren't they?" Lehmann told reporters in Brisbane. "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 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. Paine has not scored a first-class century for 11 years, while his first-class average, when playing, over the past three seasons is below 20.

Despite the 32-year-old's lack of first-class cricket, Lehmann said selectors have seen enough of him to back him as the Test wicket-keeper.

Paine took five catches and scored a half-century as captain of the Cricket Australia XI against England in Adelaide earlier this month and impressed when behind the stumps for Australia in their Twenty20 series in India in October.

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."