Former captain Alec Stewart believes that dropping Graeme Swann may help England in the third Test of The Ashes in Perth.
The tourists slumped to a 218-run defeat in Adelaide on Monday, which leaves them trailing the series 2-0, and Stewart feels that a shuffle of the pack may help the Three Lions.
"In terms of the make-up of the team for Perth, the selectors need to think hard about which combination of players gives England the best chance of winning the game," Stewart told BBC Sport. "Knowing Cook and Andy Flower as I do, they will not shy away from taking the tough decisions necessary to get England back into this Ashes series.
"One option they should seriously consider is leaving out the spinner from the final 11 and playing a four-man seam attack, which would mean no Graeme Swann or Monty Panesar.
"It is not a decision they should take lightly because Swann is a world-class spinner and has played a very important role in the successful England set-up for a number of years. Throw in his excellent catching at slip and the potential lower order runs he offers and it becomes clear why it would be a huge call."
Australia can reclaim The Ashes and end a run of three straight series losses to England with another win in the third Test, which gets underway at The WACA in Perth on December 13.
Matt Cotton
