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It's an absolute disgrace that Strauss allowed Manou to play at such short notice. Would Ray Illingworth have allowed it? I think not.

Maybe Strauss is looking to prove he's a good sport in light of the sub fielder row at Cardiff? Besides, at the time I think almost any observer had this down as a Test that was dead before it began.

I applaud Strauss for what he did. The spirit of the game is as important as ever. As a football / rugby / cricket fan I always hope that the game will be played as hard as possible but fairly and with enough spirit that you can sit down at the end of the match for a beer and enjoy it. If we hate each that much then we are in the wrong business.

Maybe Strauss named his price for saying yes - two LBW decisions by Rudi K, to be given immediately on appeal.

RE: Your conversation about double internationals (people who have represented at more than one discipline) -- Peter Kirsten (Rugby & Cricket for Western Province, Derbyshire and Springboks)

Another double international, a Mr J Rhodes played both hockey and cricket for S Africa if I recall correctly?

Odicean ...Why talk about Ray Illingworth here? Is he not a spirited cricketer? Well you should not be in the position of an international team captain when you want to win a match with the opposition team having an injured member even before the match started.....so strauss' decision is a spirited one ....defeat a full strength opposition with playing a fair game......

Having read through L A Odicean's other contributions, I realised he or she was merely being mischievous with the suggestion that Strauss's decision was a disgrace.

The England captain's agreement to Australia's reasonable request was very obviously correct and I hope it didn't even enter his head to withhold permission.

England demonstrated some very poor sportsmanship in Cardiff and, until Strauss's sensible decision yesterday afternoon, it was beginning to look as though Ricky Ponting had a monopoly on probity.

Yet another double international, Jeff Wilson, international rugby player & cricketer for New Zealand

At 5:10pm on 31 Jul 2009, L A Odicean wrote:
It's an absolute disgrace that Strauss allowed Manou to play at such short notice. Would Ray Illingworth have allowed it? I think not.

I agree with the sentiments of my fellow commentators. I don't really know what Ray Illingworth has to do with anything, but I would be sure that he, like I, would want to see two full strength teams going at it hammer and tongue for the victory.

Good move by Strauss, very sporting and he didn't really trouble the scorers so...

good common sense prevailed with Strauss on this one. Had they been 1-0 down in the series would he have yielded to their requests.

i am australian and i now have great respect for strauss as a person. you would hope everyone would act like that in that situation

It would have been a disgrace had Strauss not allowed a switch for the injury - well done England's skipper. I reckon Ricky Ponting would've done the same.

Maybe it's time cricket allowed substitutions for injuries to keepers even during a match, but not allow them to bat? In saying that it's always good fun when a non-keeper takes the gloves!

I seem to remember a long time ago something similar happening to an England wicketkeeper, but he was injured during the match, not the warm up. The oppostion (I THINK Australia) allowed a replacement keeper to be brought in.

Or am I imagining this?

Hmmm, I see the new member nonsense has started up again

nice to see cricket is still played in the right spirit, it was the only decision to make but well done Strauss for making the correct sporting gesture

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Why are so many people on Struass case for delaying tactics in cardif? As far as i can tell Panasar probably needed physo after every ball because he was so shocked he was still in!

In all seriousness the Aus use every trick in the book (which they wrote) to try and get under the oppositions skin, influence umpires into making bad decisions and anything else it takes to win a match -including lying ala the last ashes "yes i took that catch that bounced 4 feet in front of me - honest" The aussie public have apparently go so sick of the bad sportsmanship that cricket Aus has been clamping down, but believe you me and the situation in cardiff been reversed Ponting would have done the same or worse. Anyone remember pontings rant about us using sub fielders in the last ashes after simon jones's interenational career ending injury, somthing he never appologised to him for, well guess who let his bowler have a rest after 1 over yesterday? PONTING!

Strauss decision was in the best possible spirit of the game, but I'd bet if the situation were reversed, it was the last test and the Aus needed to win to retain the ashes they'd say NO

I've missed previous chat on double internationals. Did Denis Compton (Middlesex and Arsenal) get a mention? Botham played football for Scunthorpe, but, alas, did not progress.

Re Strauss/Manou, surely whether in cricket or for an equivalent situation in another sport, the prospect of refusal would not have arisen? I'd very much doubt that it crossed Strauss's mind.

If it keeps raining, fly everybody out to my place, the Gabba's just down the road, and no chance of rain, carry on here. Temperature range 9-23 C, strong sun, perfect.

I think that Strauss did the right thing in allowing the substitution. However, I am surprised that it should be his decision. Should it not be down to the umpires or match ref?

Of course Strauss had to let Manou play and it did no harm as his innings showed nothing that should worry England.

Although beware in the second innings as the last two Australian wicketkeepers making their Ashes debuts (Gilchrist and Haddin) both made centuries.

Why is there even a debate? - Of course Strauss did the right thing.

There is absolutely nothing disgraceful about strauss' decision to let Manou play at such short notice, he's simply being a good sport. No that it matters anyway as it looks like it'll be a complete washout.

Any sportsman would know that Strauss never had any thought in his mind other than to allow Manou to play. I applaud the decision pirely for the fact that it lets another player have the honour of playing test cricket for his country, something he's probably been dreaming about for his entire life.

And another point is that it's remarkable that Australia bring in players that, by age, anywhere else, would be looking at the end of their international careers. But look at guys like Mike Hussey, who have made their debuts at a late stage, and grasped the oppurtunity with both hands.

Thumbs up to the Aussies for rewarding the grafters...

England did the decent thing to allow Manou to play, but isn't it ironic that his girlfriend, Tamsyn Lewis was the screeching whinger who got the British 400m sprint girls disqualified on a technicality at the last Commonwealth Games when the Aussie girls were soundly beaten? I doubt that Ponting would have allowed a subsititute, but it's not about that, it's about doing the right thing as an Englishman.

At 09:11am on 01 Aug 2009, furryhombrelobo wrote: In saying that it's always good fun when a non-keeper takes the gloves!

Yes, he's called Brad Haddin

But good call by Strauss. And good luck to Manou

A lot of noise about nothing - I really don't see that Strauss had a decision to make!!

It IS Cricket, is it not??

This discussion is moot. But if Strauss had said NO, then there would be something to discuss - shame he didn't, would have been interesting.

Tess_sgs (15) - yes, that happened in 1980-something (can't remember exactly) when Mike Brearley called the recently retired Bob Taylor out of the hospitality tent to act as substitute keeper. The opposition was New Zealand, Jeremy Coney the captain; he said that it would have been petty to refuse the request just for the sake of a few byes.

Strauss might well have agreed anyway, but certainly if he hadn't there'd have been a massive row about "the spirit of cricket" which he and England could do without at the moment.