Warne continues to spin

Kevin Pietersen is "one weird cat" whose best is yet to come. If it were not for coaches and their "absolute crap" computers and training regimes, he would still be playing. Allen Stanford was "good for the game". And, no, he never contemplated making a comeback for Australia in the Ashes this summer. Shane Warne chats about cricket and commentary with the Observer's Kevin Mitchell.

"If they don't have Andrew Flintoff, I think Australia win easily. At the moment Australia are in fractionally better shape than England. Australia got in a position to win all three Tests against South Africa, but they lacked experience at how to win. They might play the odd bad innings here or there, but the batting will be fine. Both sides have the same concern, that is the ability to take 20 wickets, and who's the spinner in the side."

In the same paper, Ed Smith writes that Pietersen's brief tenure as England captain tells us essential truths about British society today.