EXCLUSIVE By MIKE DICKSON
Duncan Fletcher wanted to pick Monty Panesar ahead of Ashley Giles for the second Test but was unable to persuade Andrew Flintoff and other senior players.
The England coach has been blamed for the decision to select Giles for the calamitous defeat in Adelaide, but Sportsmail can reveal he was actually in favour of Panesar being included instead.
Fletcher forms part of a five-man group which debates key issues - the other members are Flintoff, Andrew Strauss, Geraint Jones and Paul Collingwood - but always allows his captain to have the final say.
Fletcher pushed for Panesar and Sajid Mahmood to be called into the team which was so comprehensively outplayed in the first Test, but Flintoff insisted on sticking by Giles and James Anderson.
Fletcher hinted at the situation yesterday when he said: "I'm not the sole selector on this tour".
The revelation that Flecther and Flintoff were so deeply divided shows cracks are appearing in England's selection system but one issue coach and captain definitely agree on is that beleaguered fast bowler Steve Harmison faces an uphill battle to keep his place for next week's third Test in Perth, and may even have played his last match for England.
Patience with the woefully out-of-form Harmison is running so low that even Flintoff is becoming disillusioned with his close friend, who has only taken one wicket in the opening two Tests, and other senior players have simply given up on the Durham bowler.
It already appears unlikely that he will be given a place in the one-day leg of this tour and the World Cup that follows in the Caribbean.
If Harmison is left out in Perth, it will boost Mahmood's hopes of a call-up, despite the fact Flintoff is far less a fan of his Lancashire team-mate than Fletcher.
Panesar's claims appear irresistible although it remains to be seen whether Flintoff is prepared to sanction the dropping of Giles, to whom he remains loyal.
Meanwhile, Michael Vaughan continued his comeback yesterday by scoring nine for an ECB Academy XI in Perth in a one-day game against Western Australia second XI.
It was his second game back and it is now likely that he will try to play in England's two day-game against Western Australia this weekend.
That would make him a semi-detached member of the existing tour party, but there is no chance of him playing in the third Test that begins a week today.
The earliest he could come into contention for a place would be at Melbourne on Boxing Day, but only if he has proved the fitness of his knee in several other games, and that seems some way away.
Fletcher said: "What we have to do is make sure Michael gets a lot of cricket under his belt. He needs to be very confident of the knee and there is not much time for him between the third and fourth Tests and even the fifth Test. 'Until he is confident we won't consider him."
Source :: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/li...tml?in_article_id=420938&in_page_id=1849&ct=5
And with the rumours from earlier in the summer that Fletcher favoured Strauss over Flintoff when it came ot the captaincy too.
I wonder if there was unanimity amongst the players or Strauss or the others also wanted Monty to come in, hm.
Could you argue that there is a conflict of interest for Freddie when dealing with Harmison and Giles?
Duncan Fletcher wanted to pick Monty Panesar ahead of Ashley Giles for the second Test but was unable to persuade Andrew Flintoff and other senior players.
The England coach has been blamed for the decision to select Giles for the calamitous defeat in Adelaide, but Sportsmail can reveal he was actually in favour of Panesar being included instead.
Fletcher forms part of a five-man group which debates key issues - the other members are Flintoff, Andrew Strauss, Geraint Jones and Paul Collingwood - but always allows his captain to have the final say.
Fletcher pushed for Panesar and Sajid Mahmood to be called into the team which was so comprehensively outplayed in the first Test, but Flintoff insisted on sticking by Giles and James Anderson.
Fletcher hinted at the situation yesterday when he said: "I'm not the sole selector on this tour".
The revelation that Flecther and Flintoff were so deeply divided shows cracks are appearing in England's selection system but one issue coach and captain definitely agree on is that beleaguered fast bowler Steve Harmison faces an uphill battle to keep his place for next week's third Test in Perth, and may even have played his last match for England.
Patience with the woefully out-of-form Harmison is running so low that even Flintoff is becoming disillusioned with his close friend, who has only taken one wicket in the opening two Tests, and other senior players have simply given up on the Durham bowler.
It already appears unlikely that he will be given a place in the one-day leg of this tour and the World Cup that follows in the Caribbean.
If Harmison is left out in Perth, it will boost Mahmood's hopes of a call-up, despite the fact Flintoff is far less a fan of his Lancashire team-mate than Fletcher.
Panesar's claims appear irresistible although it remains to be seen whether Flintoff is prepared to sanction the dropping of Giles, to whom he remains loyal.
Meanwhile, Michael Vaughan continued his comeback yesterday by scoring nine for an ECB Academy XI in Perth in a one-day game against Western Australia second XI.
It was his second game back and it is now likely that he will try to play in England's two day-game against Western Australia this weekend.
That would make him a semi-detached member of the existing tour party, but there is no chance of him playing in the third Test that begins a week today.
The earliest he could come into contention for a place would be at Melbourne on Boxing Day, but only if he has proved the fitness of his knee in several other games, and that seems some way away.
Fletcher said: "What we have to do is make sure Michael gets a lot of cricket under his belt. He needs to be very confident of the knee and there is not much time for him between the third and fourth Tests and even the fifth Test. 'Until he is confident we won't consider him."
Source :: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/li...tml?in_article_id=420938&in_page_id=1849&ct=5
And with the rumours from earlier in the summer that Fletcher favoured Strauss over Flintoff when it came ot the captaincy too.
I wonder if there was unanimity amongst the players or Strauss or the others also wanted Monty to come in, hm.
Could you argue that there is a conflict of interest for Freddie when dealing with Harmison and Giles?
