ENGLAND all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has played down the impact of Darren Pattinson's surprise inclusion in the team to play South Africa in the second Test at Headingley.
Pace bowler Pattinson, born in England but raised in Australia, leapfrogged over more obvious candidates following an injury to Ryan Sidebottom and into the team which lost by ten wickets inside four days.
The former Melbourne club cricketer has
since carried much of the blame, with England captain Michael Vaughan admitting there was confusion over his selection.
Flintoff, who made his long-awaited comeback from injury in the same Test, confirmed the rest of the team did not know about Pattinson's selection until the Friday morning. But he said: "I don't think that should affect anyone's individual performance."
Flintoff revealed that he had played against Pattinson in a Twenty20 match and admitted he had bowled a "decent pace".
Asked about the possibility of Steve Harmison – who has been in strong form for Durham – returning for the third Test, Flintoff added: "Steve's a class performer. With Simon Jones and Matthew Hoggard there's probably quite a few to pick from."
But the saga over Pattinson's inclusion at Headingley rumbles on, and it emerged yesterday that national selector Geoff Miller has sought an explanation from Vaughan following the captain's claim that England had been left unsettled by "confused" selection during the ten-wicket defeat.
The selectors have attracted considerable criticism for the late call-up of Pattinson, who had made just 11 previous first-class appearances, and there remains doubt over who had the final say in the selection of the 29-year-old Nottinghamshire seamer.
"The selectors are not here to make Michael's job harder, which is why I'd like him to clarify his comments," said Miller.
"It's been made into a massive issue by the media and I want to hear his side of the story."
He added "This is professional sport. I'm the national selector, Michael is the captain – we are both in this together. We must make sure we're on an even keel."
Former captain Ian Botham led the chorus of condemnation for the selectors, claiming their decisions were "appalling, embarrassing and downright wrong". In his newspaper column, Botham added: "The England team selection on Friday knocked me sideways.
"I feel very sorry for Darren Pattinson, but I don't have any sympathy for the selectors who lost all sense of perspective and embarrassed English cricket.
"It was the most illogical, pathetic and diabolical piece of selecting I've seen. I want to hear a proper explanation for this, as do the England cricket fans around the country."
Pattinson was the first new cap since the current selection panel of Geoff Miller, James Whitaker and Ashley Giles took over. And Geoff Boycott was also unimpressed with what they came up with as they looked for a swing bowler.
Boycott explained: "He bowled steadily and didn't let anyone down. It is not his fault that he is at the middle of this schemozzle. But this was one of the first big decisions taken by England's new selection panel, and they got it badly wrong.
"They need to admit their mistake and realise that wild hunches are no way to build an international cricket team."
Nasser Hussain, another former England captain, has called for someone to take responsibility for the selection.
"There has been a bit too much passing the buck since England were beaten at Headingley," Hussain said.
"Geoff Miller is in charge of selection but there has to be collective responsibility and we can't forget that it was the players who lost the match.
"The bottom line is that the selectors chose to bring Darren Pattinson into the squad but it was Michael Vaughan, as captain, and coach Peter Moores who decided he should be included in the side."
PROFILEDARREN Pattinson was born in August 1979 in Grimsby but grew up in Australia and played club cricket for the Dandenong Panthers in the Victorian Premier. Having signed a two-year deal with Nottinghamshire earlier this year, he took 5-22 on his debut against Kent in April. Prior to his first
Test match call up – against South Africa last week – Pattinson had played in just 11 first-class matches anywhere in the world.
The full article contains 716 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
