49 Facts About Graeme Swann

Graeme Peter Swann was born on 24 March 1979 and is an English former cricketer who played all three formats of the game.

Graeme Swann was primarily a right-arm off-spinner, and a capable late-order batsman with four first-class centuries, and often fielded at second slip.

Graeme Swann was a member of the England team that won the 2010 ICC World Twenty20.

Graeme Swann played a very poor single One Day International against South Africa in 2000, before losing his place in the squad.

In March 2010, Graeme Swann became the first English off-spinner since Jim Laker to take 10 wickets in a match when he achieved the feat in England's victory in the first Test in Bangladesh.

In 2011 Graeme Swann was part of the England team that claimed the No 1 ranking in Test cricket and between July and October that year was the No 1 ranked bowler in ODIs.

Graeme Swann did spin the ball appreciably and emerged as a definite candidate for elevation.

Graeme Swann had the potential to become a genuine allrounder, with a wide range of attractive strokes, though he needs to use them more selectively.

In 1999, Graeme Swann was brought into the England squad for the final Test against New Zealand.

Graeme Swann did not play, but featured in an ODI against South Africa following an injury to Ashley Giles.

In domestic cricket, Graeme Swann scored his highest first-class score of 183 in 2002, sharing a partnership of 318 with Northants captain Mike Hussey.

Graeme Swann moved to Nottinghamshire in 2005, and finished the season of 2007 with 516 runs and 45 wickets, leading to his recall to the England side against Sri Lanka.

An unsuccessful tour of New Zealand followed, and Graeme Swann was unable consistently to occupy a place in the England ODI side.

Graeme Swann remained in the squad but faced tough competition from Samit Patel, who had already taken his first ODI five-wicket haul, against South Africa in his third match.

Graeme Swann collected five wickets in the first of the West Indian innings in the Fourth Test.

Graeme Swann had done enough in the year preceding the 2009 Ashes to be considered England's premier spinner, overtaking Panesar.

Graeme Swann went on to play in all five matches of the series.

Graeme Swann's bowling was anodyne, failing to pick up a wicket in 38 overs in Australia's only innings, in which they amassed 674 for 6 declared with four centurions, but his second-innings 31 helped England salvage a draw, as Australia were unable to take the final English wicket with Panesar and James Anderson at the crease.

At Lord's, Graeme Swann was part of England's first-innings slide from 302 for 3 to 425 all out, and was only required to bowl one over in Australia's first innings, as England's seamers combined to bowl Australia out for 215.

However, in Australia's second innings, after Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin had briefly made a mammoth 522-run target seem attainable, Graeme Swann combined with Andrew Flintoff to bowl Australia out, taking the key wicket of Michael Clarke bowled for 136.

Graeme Swann took the final wicket of Mitchell Johnson, bowled for 63, to finish with second-innings figures of 4 for 87 and complete England's first victory against Australia at Lord's since 1934.

At Edgbaston, Graeme Swann was only required to bowl two first-innings overs, but nonetheless made England's first breakthrough, trapping Simon Katich lbw to end an 85-run opening partnership.

At Headingley Graeme Swann made a duck in England's first-innings collapse to 102 all out, and failed to take a wicket in Australia's total of 445.

Graeme Swann took 4 for 38, combining with Stuart Broad to bowl Australia out for 160.

Graeme Swann hit a 55-ball 63 in England's second innings, sharing a 13-over partnership of 90 with debutant Jonathan Trott.

Graeme Swann claimed figures of 4 for 120, taking his tally of wickets to eight in the match, including the final wicket, Mike Hussey caught at short leg by Alastair Cook for 121, to clinch the Ashes series.

Graeme Swann finished the series with an aggregate of 249 runs at an average of 35.57, and 14 wickets.

Graeme Swann was selected in England's 15 man squad for the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies.

Graeme Swann's performances won widespread applause for his ability to adapt to the different forms of the game and to retain control over his bowling.

Graeme Swann had success in the second test at Adelaide taking 7 wickets in the match and a match winning 5 wicket haul.

Graeme Swann finished the series with 15 wickets at an average of 39.80, economy of 2.72 and a strike rate of 87.6, these figures are much greater to that of the several Australian spinners, Xavier Doherty and Michael Beer, with the latter making his debut in the final test at Sydney.

Graeme Swann played a pivotal role in England's series success down under, with control and his wicket taking abilities when needed.

Graeme Swann ended 2010 as England retained and then won the Ashes series in Australia, as the second highest-ranked bowler in world cricket, and the highest ranked spin bowler.

Graeme Swann took eight wickets and in the process rose to the No 1 spot in the ICC's ODI bowler rankings.

Graeme Swann was one of 144 players who put their names forward for the auction ahead of the 2012 Indian Premier League; though he was one of three players given the highest possible reserve price of $400,000 he was not bought by any of the franchises.

Graeme Swann finished with 4 wickets at an average of 77.

Graeme Swann was rested for the final three matches of the five game ODI series against South Africa which followed due to a problem with his elbow and was replaced in the team by Kent spinner James Tredwell had previously filled in for Graeme Swann in ODIs when the latter was unavailable or rested.

Graeme Swann played in all five matches, managing seven wickets and was the team's joint second-highest wicket-taker behind fast bowler Steven Finn.

On 21 December 2013, Graeme Swann announced his retirement from all cricket with immediate effect.

Graeme Swann is always trying to work out in his mind how to get wickets.

Graeme Swann is noted for being an attacking spinner, generally delivering the ball with plenty of flight and bounce.

Graeme Swann noted that he has a very different grip to the textbook grip of simply resting the tip of the index and middle fingers on the seam.

Commentator Peter Roebuck suggested in March 2010 that Graeme Swann's success has been due as much to his attitude as skill:.

Graeme Swann plays cricket like a man eager for a scrap and not too bothered about the niceties.

Graeme Swann had no such weapon at his disposal and still rose to the top.

From 8 September 2018 Graeme Swann participated in the sixteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing with professional dance partner Oti Mabuse.

Graeme Swann revealed on the BBC's Football Focus that he supports Newcastle United and Blyth Spartans football clubs.

Graeme Swann is the lead singer of the rock band Dr Comfort and the Lurid Revelations which plays cover songs in gigs around Nottinghamshire.

Graeme Swann became a summariser for the BBC's Test Match Special in February 2014.