'Soft excuse' - Graeme Swann takes aim at England's approach to spin bowling as Australia threaten quickest Ashes series victory in over a century
Published 19/12/2025 at 23:31 GMT
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Graeme Swann questioned England's approach to spin bowling after another difficult day at the Ashes, as Travis Head's century left Australia in control of the third Test in Adelaide with a 356-run lead. "The way spin is viewed in England is fundamentally wrong, by county cricket, and it has been for a long time," said Swann. Watch every ball of the 2025/26 Ashes on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Swann hits out at ‘soft excuse’ behind England spin woes – ‘Fundamentally wrong’
Video credit: TNT Sports
Graeme Swann has reignited the debate around England’s approach to spin bowling development following another disappointing day Down Under on Day 3 of the third Test of the NRMA Insurance men’s Ashes.
England edged closer to their quickest Ashes series defeat in over a century as Travis Head’s century tightened Australia’s control of the third Test in Adelaide, with the hosts establishing a big lead of 356.
England’s bowlers created early inroads but were unable to sustain pressure as Australia steadily extended their advantage.
The performance led Swann - speaking live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - to reflect on how spin bowling is developed and used in England.
The former England off-spinner challenged the commonly held view that early and late-season conditions in England are unsuited to spin bowling.
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Highlights: Archer excels with the bat before more Head magic puts Australia in control
Video credit: TNT Sports
"This is always the excuse rolled out because spinners have to bowl at the start and the end of the season (when conditions are cold and not conducive to spin)," Swann told TNT Sports.
"If you can't bowl at all times and find a role for yourself as a spinner in the team... They don't bowl because the way the system is sorted, the way they’re captained, the way their fields are set, are not allowing them to get overs under their belt.
"The way spin is viewed in England is fundamentally wrong, by county cricket, and it has been for a long time."
He pointed to examples where counties have fully backed their spinners and been rewarded.
"The counties that actually pick a good spinner like Essex did with [Simon] Harmer for a while," he said.
"They have a quality spinner, set proper fields, he bowled the start of the season, the end of the season, they won the championship."
Drawing on his own career, Swann said being forced to bowl in difficult conditions was a key part of his development.
He added: "You can get experience by doing it. I grew up having to bowl in the early season, having to squeeze out 15 overs and finding a way and not having the safety net of ‘Oh it’s April. Let’s just not play spin. Let’s expect a young spinner to be good enough'.
"If the whole game bought into it and bowled these guys and learned how to captain and set proper fields as a whole you would get more quality spin.
"But we always go back to that 'oh we play at the start of the season and the end of the season'. September turns square in England, so I’m not having that and I never have and have always rallied against it because I was never allowed the luxury of that argument and I think it’s a soft excuse."
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Swann also spoke about the need for spinners to adapt to different overseas conditions, including in Australia.
"Wherever you go in the world there’s different conditions, the hardest place to bowl is Australia without a doubt. This place [Adelaide] aside, this is a glorious place to bowl spin," he said.
"Perth, Brisbane they’re horrible places for a finger spinner because you’re not used to it - Nathan Lyon’s done a brilliant job.
"We’re forever hiding behind that excuse, it’s too hard to bowl [spin in] the English season. It doesn’t cut it for me.
"It doesn’t cut the mustard."
If England suffer a third defeat in as many Tests on Saturday, the Ashes will have been decided inside 10 days.
Watch every ball of the 2025/26 Ashes on TNT Sports and discovery+
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