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 Thursday, 5 December, 2002, 10:39 GMT
Hoggard: I'm not to blame
Matthew Hoggard and Duncan Fletcher
Hoggard was shown the door for the Perth Test
Matthew Hoggard feels he has been unfairly singled out for blame after England's disastrous start to the Ashes series.

Hoggard took just one wicket in the first two Tests and was dropped for the third as England opted for a new-look attack.


It's untrue that I have lost confidence
Matthew Hoggard
But without him they fared no better - crashing to an eighth successive Ashes series defeat after losing in Perth by an innings.

"I think all our bowlers have been not as effective as they could be," Hoggard told BBC Sport Online.

"We had been annihilated so we needed to do something for Perth and unfortunately one of the sacrifices was me.

"I didn't produce the goods on wickets that were good to bat on but all our bowlers are struggling.

"I was very disappointed to lose my place but it has made me determined to get back in the side."

Hoggard was also left out of the squad for the one-day VB Series, with England preferring untried Worcestershire seamer Kabir Ali.

The selectors cited a drop in Hoggard's confidence for his omission.

Coach Duncan Fletcher revealed: "Hoggard's been left out because his confidence has taken a bit of a knock.

"We know what he can bowl like, but we just want him to go away and work at his game over the next two weeks."

But the paceman denies his confidence is low and said he had expected to be picked for the one-day squad.

"I was bitterly disappointed at missing out," Hoggard said.

"I didn't play too well against India in the summer and they seem to think it's this confidence thing.

"They just want me to go away and work on it but it's untrue that I have lost confidence.

"I've been told that I am in with a shout after Christmas."

England play four one-dayers leading up to Christmas prior to the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

The second half of the VB series begins on 11 January, following the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

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England's Matthew Hoggard
"I was very disappointed"
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