England Test opener Michael Carberry has questioned the communication skills of those charged with running the side and claims he has been given a "shorter rope" than other players
Michael Carberry
London: England Test opener Michael Carberry has questioned the communication skills of those charged with running the side and claims he has been given a "shorter rope" than other players.
Michael Carberry
The Hampshire batsman was taken to Australia and played in all five disastrous Tests, ending as England's third-best run-scorer on the averages with a total of just over 28.
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There was no sign of him for the subsequent one-day series, though, nor at the World Twenty20 which England have now exited in embarrassing fashion.
He claims he still wants to play for England in the future, even at 33 now, but does not necessarily feel he will get the chance.
Speaking specifically about Ashley Giles, England's one-day coach who hopes to replace Andy Flower in overall charge, Carberry told the Guardian: "It's that age-old word, man-management. At the age I am, I need straight answers. To be told I'm on the radar or being talked about? All these lip-service cliches don't interest me any more.
Coach has no clue
"I had a brief chat with Ashley during the fifth ODI in Adelaide. His response was that he didn't really know. If you don't know mate, I sure as hell won't know."
Giles' stock seems to be falling by the day as a result of England's ongoing struggles and Carberry is disappointed not to have heard from him or any of the other team hierarchy since touching back down from Australia.
"No. Nothing which is disappointing but it's the way they tend to do things. I don't think it's me alone saying this sort of thing. There have been players before me and players now who have felt the same thing," he said when asked if there had been contact.
"Leaving Adelaide after our brief chat I've got to be honest, it didn't fill me with a great deal of optimism. I feel that this is a question he should have answered. And, OK, if it's not him answering, it should be one of the selectors. But that's the way England like to do things. It disappoints me because I'm quite an approachable guy.
"I'm sitting here disappointed I'm not involved in the one-day set-up. I seem to have been left out for some unknown reason. I don't think it's a cricket reason because my one-day stats speak for themselves over the last few seasons. So I'm disappointed the selectors haven't fronted up and spoken to me."
'KP was very helpful'
Away from Carberry, England have also been without Kevin Pietersen — his former Hampshire teammate — after his international career was effectively ended.
"It's obvious that since the (Ashes) tour ended some very, very strange decisions have been made," Carberry said. "It was a big surprise (Pietersen). I don't think anyone saw that coming. Through the tour, certainly, Kev was very helpful to me."
England return to action on home soil in May, starting with an ODI against Scotland, but Carberry is not confident about being involved.
He added: "I've been in the game a long time and you know some guys get given a shorter rope than others. I'm probably going to be a bit controversial here but throughout my England career, even as a schoolboy, I've always had that shorter rope — for some reason."
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