Bruised Fletcher admits Ashes selection gaffes

UNDERFIRE coach Duncan Fletcher has admitted he made selection blunders in choosing the England team for the disastrous Ashes series against Australia.

England face a humiliating Ashes clean sweep in next week’s final Test in Sydney after crashing to an innings and 99-run defeat inside three days at Melbourne Test.

That result followed heavy losses in the Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth Tests after England arrived in Australia to defend the urn won last year.

Fletcher confessed he and captain Andrew Flintoff, who also act as tour selectors, had erred when picking sides to face the rampant Australians.

“We’ve made some mistakes and we will reflect on it when we get back after the tour, like we do any other series,” he told reporters yesterday.

“We will reflect on it and make sure we try not to make those mistakes again.”

Although Fletcher would not admit to any specific mistakes, the major selection clangers were overlooking spinner Monty Panesar for the first two Tests and wicketkeeper Chris Read for the first three.

The folly of favouring Ashley Giles over Panesar was shown in Perth, where Panesar took eight wickets.

Read took six catches in Australia’s first innings in Melbourne and made an unbeaten 26 in the second innings when he replaced Geraint Jones, who failed with the bat in the first three Tests.

Fletcher insisted the England team spirit remained strong despite the massive innings defeat after winning the toss and he said his players were giving it their all.

He admitted England had let its travelling fans down by performing poorly in all the Tests, but said it was unfair to accuse the players of not giving their best.

“You go into the change room and see how despondent they were,” he said.

“If they weren’t trying then I’d say they’ve let us down, but they’re trying their damnedest.”

In the meantime the Australian selectors yesterday declined to call on the use of a second spinner when they named an unchanged side for the fifth and final Ashes Test against England, starting Tuesday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The Australians are chasing the first Ashes 5-0 series clean sweep in 85 years with victory in the Sydney Test.

The New Year Test also marks the final match for all-time great Australian bowlers Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, who have announced their retirements from Test cricket.

AUSTRALIA — Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist, Stuart Clark, Michael Clarke, Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Justin Langer, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, Andrew Symonds, Shane Warne (12th man yet to be named).