Shut up, Warney

I'm far from alone in holding Shane Warne in the very highest esteem as a cricketer - who could argue with his inclusion in Wisden's list of the 5 greatest cricketers of the 20th Century - but don't you just wish he'd keep it schtum sometimes?

There's no doubt that the man has an excellent tactical cricket brain and, had it not been for his, let's say, questionable off-field behaviour, he might well have captained Australia instead of Ricky Ponting, but he does litter the Press with rubbish, doesn't he?

First, there was his unnecessary comparison of a young Phil Mustard with the world's greatest ever 'keeper-batsmen, then his very odd list in the Times of the 50 best cricketers he had played with and against (in itself a very good thing, but 'Shreck' Lehmann ahead of Steve Waugh? Jamie Siddons - an excellent player, but one without a Test cap to his name - in the top 50? Do me a favour) and, now, his utterly gratuitous attack on England's international set-up and its supposed pre-occupation with the Ashes
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/7251026.stm

That England are languishing a long way behind Australia is indisputable, but that all Warney can 'hear is excuses' for England's poor form since the summer of 2005? What rot (or alternative vernacular term). England's premier strike bowler has fully accepted that his form hasn't been up to scratch and quietly gone off to make amends, England have recruited a new bowling coach to help put some venom - and direction - back into their attack and at no point have Peter Moores, Michael Vaughan, Paul Collingwood, nor even the departed Duncan Fletcher, been heard to whinge about the major losses to injury (or other ailment) of their most experienced opening batsman, their talismanic all-rounder or their best exponent of fast reverse-swing bowling, three huge cogs in England's success prior to, and during, the 2005 Ashes

The fact is that England have 'just got on with it' and not always been up to scratch - no-one in England would refute that

'They get too wrapped up in the Ashes'? Well, why not set your standards against the best side in the world? We did whilst the Windies were blowing all comers away and I'm sure the current, ambitious Indian side looks to Australia as its standard, too. We - you and me - may care greatly for Ashes tradition but the current English professional, I'd venture, does not: all the England international set-up and its players should be thinking about, if we're to be pragmatic about it, is 'how can we become as consistently excellent as the Aussies' and then apply their findings to all their cricket up to, during and beyond the Ashes. So yeah, we are pre-occupied with the Ashes

Can I borrow the brain you use when your off the field, Shane? I'm building an...