Warne hits out at Strauss

Shane Warne believes Andrew Strauss is showing "a lack of respect for Test cricket" by missing England's tour of Bangladesh.

Opener Strauss has been rested for the for the two-match series, as well as the three one-dayers against the Tigers, with one eye on a busy year ahead.

However Warne feels Strauss is wrong to be missing the trip, reasoning that playing Test cricket for your country is "special".

The former Australia leg-spinner also feels it will not make life easy for the England team, who will be led instead by vice-captain Alastair Cook.
Respect

"I hope they are not taking Bangladesh too easy because they can be quite strong," said the leg-spinner.

"What if they win the first Test? Does Strauss fly out for the second? I hope it's not the start of a trend. It's a lack of respect for Test cricket.

"It's disappointing that the captain of England decides to have a rest from a Test series, I can't comprehend that. Any time you represent your country it's special and I cannot understand how you can rest your captain.

"Maybe a one-day game because you play 40 or 50 a year but you only play eight Test matches a year. It's special.

"He's got a style of captaincy and a new skipper can't be Andrew Strauss, he'll do it his way. So suddenly the players think 'how are we going to play under Alastair Cook?"'

Warne is hoping the decision to leave Strauss at home will open the door for his former Hampshire team-mate Michael Carberry.

"I hope he gets the nod and peels off a couple of hundreds," he added.

"Then what are they going to do? Leave Andrew Strauss out? Michael is a wonderful player and I had a lot to do with him down at Hampshire where I was his captain for a few years.

"I saw a lot of good qualities and he just got better and better."