Published: Nov 04, 2013, 10:32 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 04, 2013, 10:32 PM (IST)
Simon Kerrigan had a woeful Test debut for England in the Ashes 2013 © Getty Images
London: Nov 4, 2013
Simon Kerrigan will not travel to Australia with England‘s ‘shadow’ performance squad following his woeful Test debut during the recent home Ashes series, officials announced Monday.
Left-arm spinner Kerrigan will continue to work with county side Lancashire while the rest of the England Performance Programme squad spends two weeks each in Brisbane and Perth starting later this month.
Kerrigan, conceded 53 runs in just eight wicketless overs on his debut during the fifth Test against Australia at The Oval in August and didn’t bowl at all in the second innings of a drawn match that saw England to a 3-0 Ashes series win.
So poor was Kerrigan’s display he was left out of England’s Ashes squad with the selectors recalling rival left-arm spinner Monty Panesar instead despite the bowler’s well-publicised off-field problems, which included urinating over bouncers at a Brighton nightclub.
Kerrigan will now spend the next two months in Manchester, working on a development programme drawn up by England and Wales Cricket Board spin bowling coach Peter Such, himself an ex-England spinner, but will be considered for next year’s second-string England Lions tour of Sri Lanka.
ECB performance director David Parsons said in a statement: “Simon undertook both winter tour programmes with the EPP and England Lions last winter and after further discussions with both Simon and Lancashire CCC, it has been decided that his career development will be best served by remaining in the UK in the pre-Christmas period.
“He will remain part of the EPP and will continue to be considered for selection for the England Lions tour of Sri Lanka in the New Year.”
