Michael Holding: England are hypocrites

England have been accused of “hypocrisy” by West Indies great Michael Holding.

Holding hinted that England were guilty of double standards in defending Stuart Broad’s right not to walk during the First Ashes Test at Trent Bridge, when he was clearly caught at slip by Australia captain Michael Clarke, only to be given not out by umpire Aleem Dar.

Two years ago, at the same ground, England asked India to recall Ian Bell after the batsman was controversially run out during a Test match — and India obliged. Holding believes one incident is at odds with the other.

“Two years ago, the England team invoked the Spirit of Cricket to ask that a legitimate run out dismissal of Ian Bell — as per the laws of the game — be overturned,” the former fast bowler, now a television pundit, told Wisden India magazine.

“When you do that one day, you can’t turn around and hide behind the laws on another. That’s called hypocrisy.”