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Giles blasts 'Montymania'
By Iain Payten
January 26, 2007
DISGRUNTLED England spinner Ashley Giles has claimed he was dropped from the Ashes
Test team because of the clamour for "Montymania".
Giles has spoken out for the first time about being replaced by Monty Panesar for the final three Ashes Tests, saying the popularity of the colourful Sikh spinner meant he was discarded unfairly by England.
"I was battling not only against Australia but against Montymania," Giles told the UK Sun newspaper.
"There's nothing personal between us but Monty had become such a major figure it seemed he had to play.
"It was almost as if they were stringing up effigies of Fletcher and burning them in the streets of London town because Monty wasn't playing.
"It was more than just competition for places - it was the hype around Monty, leading to the talk of Sports Personality of the Year and everything else.
"There are moments when you think, 'Have people forgotten what I've done for this team?'
"But I suppose everyone gets p..... off at work sometimes."
Giles took three wickets at an average of 87.3 in the opening two Ashes Tests, and averaged 24 with the bat. Panesar, who played in three Tests but bowled just six more overs than Giles, finished with 10 wickets at 37.9 - including a 5-92 in Perth.
But Giles believes Monty's batting (he averaged 7) was not good enough for Test standards.
"Monty is a very good bowler but there are other areas he needs to work on. As a spinner in England, you need to do other things," said Giles.
"To be a lone spinner who bats at 10 or 11, you must get five and six-wicket hauls regularly.
"Unless I got five wickets or we won, I was always going to be up for scrutiny."
Giles said he was annoyed with himself for dropping Ricky Ponting in Adelaide when the Australia captain was on 35, and would go on to score 142.
"It was an important one because he got another 100 runs and, if I'd held it, that Test could have been very different. But it's ridiculous to say I dropped us the Ashes," he said.
Giles left the Ashes tour regardless after Perth to be with his wife Stine, who underwent an operation for a brain tumour.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,21119743-23212,00.html
By Iain Payten
January 26, 2007
DISGRUNTLED England spinner Ashley Giles has claimed he was dropped from the Ashes
Test team because of the clamour for "Montymania".
Giles has spoken out for the first time about being replaced by Monty Panesar for the final three Ashes Tests, saying the popularity of the colourful Sikh spinner meant he was discarded unfairly by England.
"I was battling not only against Australia but against Montymania," Giles told the UK Sun newspaper.
"There's nothing personal between us but Monty had become such a major figure it seemed he had to play.
"It was almost as if they were stringing up effigies of Fletcher and burning them in the streets of London town because Monty wasn't playing.
"It was more than just competition for places - it was the hype around Monty, leading to the talk of Sports Personality of the Year and everything else.
"There are moments when you think, 'Have people forgotten what I've done for this team?'
"But I suppose everyone gets p..... off at work sometimes."
Giles took three wickets at an average of 87.3 in the opening two Ashes Tests, and averaged 24 with the bat. Panesar, who played in three Tests but bowled just six more overs than Giles, finished with 10 wickets at 37.9 - including a 5-92 in Perth.
But Giles believes Monty's batting (he averaged 7) was not good enough for Test standards.
"Monty is a very good bowler but there are other areas he needs to work on. As a spinner in England, you need to do other things," said Giles.
"To be a lone spinner who bats at 10 or 11, you must get five and six-wicket hauls regularly.
"Unless I got five wickets or we won, I was always going to be up for scrutiny."
Giles said he was annoyed with himself for dropping Ricky Ponting in Adelaide when the Australia captain was on 35, and would go on to score 142.
"It was an important one because he got another 100 runs and, if I'd held it, that Test could have been very different. But it's ridiculous to say I dropped us the Ashes," he said.
Giles left the Ashes tour regardless after Perth to be with his wife Stine, who underwent an operation for a brain tumour.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,21119743-23212,00.html
