Swann surprised by Kaneria axe

Graeme Swann expects another match dominated by swing and seam at Edgbaston - but is still at a loss to understand Pakistan's decision to ditch leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.

Pakistan made an unusually harsh call on Kaneria after his figures of one for 171 in the first npower Test at Trent Bridge, not only dropping him from their team but announcing he is no longer retained in the squad and free instead to play for Essex.

"He has a lot of sympathy from me," said Swann. "I don't think he bowled that badly. But it's good for us, because he's one of the world-class performers within that team - so if he is surplus to requirements and they are going to bring someone else in, not having had three Tests under his belt in England, that works in our favour."

He added: "I was a little bit surprised by the whole thing. It's not for us to comment on how other teams handle their affairs - but from the spinners' union point of view, it's harsh."

Off-spinner Swann was himself employed for only two wicketless overs in Nottingham - where Kaneria sent down 33, and the seam and swing bowlers made life so tough for batsmen on both sides.

Pakistan responded by calling up teenage left-arm spinner Raza Hasan in Kaneria's place, as well as sending for veteran batsman Mohammad Yousuf to fly in from Lahore to try to shore up their batting.

Swann has no truck with theories about the effect of redevelopment, completed at Trent Bridge and ongoing at Edgbaston, on the atmosphere and therefore amount of swing available but he expects plenty of it anyway, having seen his Nottinghamshire and England team-mate Stuart Broad take career-best figures on this ground in a county match last month.

Casting his eye to the building site at what was once the pavilion end, he said: "There are more breeze-blocks here than two weeks ago ... that might have affected the airflow.

"But I think that's a bit of an urban myth. People always talk about the micro-climate at Trent Bridge because the new stand had gone up - but that is absolute rubbish.

"It swung here for Stuart Broad two weeks ago, and he got eight wickets in their second innings. I would hope for a repeat of what happened at Trent Bridge. I am inherently lazy; I am happy to stand at second slip and watch those guys bowl like that again."