Cricket: England team world champion whingers says Gavaskar

England have been labelled the " champion whingers of the world" by former Indian batting great Sunil Gavaskar.

Nasser Hussain's English team came from behind to square the series 3-3 with close-run victories in the last two games, but the series was blighted by complaints about practice facilities and umpiring.

"Trust the champion whingers of the world to only moan about what affects them and not utter a word when it benefits them," Gavaskar wrote in a column in the Hindustan Times.

The 52-year-old former Indian opener, who scored 10,122 runs in 125 tests, including a record 34 centuries, also called the England team "boring" after their three-test series against India in December.

"The English skipper has obliquely referred to the decisions that have gone against his team as the reasons for his team's defeat," Gavaskar said.

"But when you look at the decisions that went in his side's favour there has not even been a beep."



Gavaskar's thoughts are unlikely to trouble the England squad, now in Hamilton and preparing for their two one-dayers against Northern Districts tomorrow and on Sunday.

England's players were not fussed about tuning in to last night's one-day final at Melbourne, many instead heading for the golf course.

In-form opener Marcus Trescothick, who has never played New Zealand, saw no point getting wound up about following the form of the home side.

"We've seen a lot of the games in the series so far," he said.

"We'll watch a bit of it because you can pick up little things here and there, but we're not going to sit in all day."

The collective sighs of relief were almost audible as England arrived from a tough tour of India.

Despite the euphoria of Sunday's series-squaring, five-run win in Mumbai, where man-of-the-match Trescothick slammed 95 off 80 balls, there was no doubt where the tourists would rather be.

"It's very, very nice to be here. I've had all of my winter tours away in subcontinents so far, so to come over here is magnificent," Trescothick said.

"It's nice to enjoy yourself, to go out and get away from all the hassles of being over in India.

"The series result there was very big for us. It's not an easy place to go and play. They're so fanatical about the game it's unbelievable.

"Drawing the one-day series was a good effort, but we had opportunities where we could have won the series."

England and New Zealand have gone through two International Cricket Council knockout tournaments and a World Cup in the past five years without meeting.

Their head-to-head one-day record suggests an intriguing five-match series, beginning in Christchurch on Wednesday.

In 48 meetings England have won 23, New Zealand 21, with three no results and one tie.

- AGENCIES