The recurring issues of WAGs

There's never a right answer to how to deal with wives and girlfriends when so much of an international (or even domestic) cricketer's life is spent away from home. But it's interesting to see that the Aussies are taking the issue seriously.

I realise that there are those that suggest that "back in the old days" this wasn't an issue, but that was back in the days when excellence in sport wasn't approached so scientifically. These days, anything that could give even 0.01% greater chance of winning needs to be investigated and optimised.

My particular view on this is that the old "no WAGs" on tour rule is rediculous - there can be no other career other than team sport where employees are owned 24 hours a day to such an extent that they can be denied the right to see their loved ones out of work hours. So the more flexible they can make things to ensure each player is at his best, the better.

This comes just days after Matthew Hoggard admitted that relationship issues were partly to blame for his (relatively) poor performance in the first Test in New Zealand before he was dropped. With his wife suffering from depression and post-natal depression, and a small son at home, Hoggard told Vaughan during that Test "Vaughany, I think I'm going cuckoo, I'm doing a Tres". Given the background it's not surprising that Hoggard struggled in that match, but it's perhaps even more surprising that the England selectors cast him adrift so mercilessly. Not only a case of poor selection, but poor empathy for a man who deserved far more from his employers.

Incidentally, don't we still have a requirement for a quality swing bowler this summer as 4th seamer alongside Flintoff, Anderson and Broad? We know the Aussies can't play swing bowling. If Sidebottom isn't fit or bowling well, I know who I'd pick....and even if he is, Hoggard should still be well in contention - why he was discarded altogether is almost impossible to fathom.