Yesterday, David Siddall of World Cricket Watch gave a glowing reference to arguably the most hated Australian in their current line-up (see story here). Even most Australian cricket fans seem to dislike Shane Watson (we certainly do), who narrowly pips Mr Angry himself, Ricky Ponting to accolade. Today as we reach number 52 in our Ashes countdown, David takes a look at the England camp and considers who holds the "most hated" tag in the England camp...
Having lived in Australia for more than two years, this Englishman can fathom four candidates who for some reason or not fit the bill as the villain of the piece.
Kevin Pietersen – Sheer arrogance doesn’t always go down too well in Australia. And KP has that in abundance. But at the same time he is the most respected and most feared batsman in the English lineup. His battles with Warne were the most captivating of experiences. But does the ego count against him?
Stuart Broad - For my money he is a young, aggressive, hungry test cricketer who simply does not tolerate losing. And who wouldn’t want that kind of cricketer in their side? But to others he is the devil in disguise. Maybe it is the overzealous appealing that doesn’t catch the umpire’s eye… Maybe it’s the finger pointing… Maybe it’s the boyish good looks. One way or another, something rubs people the wrong way about Stuart Broad. Not me, all the Stuart Broad haters must stop.
Graeme Swann – I can’t think for the life of me why Graeme Swann isn’t lauded the world over. This one got me so riled that I had to declare 10 Things to Love About Graeme Swann
Jonathan Trott– Despite Jonathan Trott making the number 3 position his own this summer he isn’t always the most liked. Slow motion batting isn’t always a crowd-pleaser when it comes to test cricket. He’s not a man to be rushed at the crease. And he’s got very itchy pads. Is that reason enough to dislike him? Well I guess the fact that he is also South African – just like a certain KP – may stand against him as well.
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