Melbourne, December 23: Spin legend Shane Warne has said England could no longer afford to ”carry” middle-order batsman Paul Collingwood as the visitors look to win the fourth Test in the MCG to retain the Ashes.
”When a team is winning, you can carry a player or two, but unfortunately for Paul Collingwood, he has been short of runs for a while,” Warne was quoted as saying by the ‘Herald Sun’.
”Since Perth, when Australia smashed the Poms, Collingwood is back in the spotlight for his lack of runs. He might get one more chance here in Melbourne but he needs to make some runs,” he added.
Warne further insisted for off-spinner Nathan Hauritz’s inclusion in the team saying his form with bat and ball at state-level warranted a recall to the Australian Test team.
”What has impressed me about Hauritz, he’s gone back and taken wickets and made runs,” Warne said.
”So I think it still stands that Hauritz deserves a chance for Melbourne and Sydney.”
——–UNI