We must solve the puzzle of how to play spin in Asia to stay No 1: Swann

London, Feb 8(ANI): England spinner Graeme Swann has said that England's batsmen must learn how to play spin bowling in the subcontinent to continue their reign as the world's number one team.

He said that this England team wouldn't be considered as an all time great time if they don't learn to tackle spin bowling in Asian conditions.

"We must solve the puzzle of how to play spin in Asia if England are to stay No 1 and be recognized as an all-time great team," Swann said in his column for The Sun.

Swann said the only reason behind their team getting whitewashed at the hands of the Pakistan team was that they didn't play the Pakistani spin bowlers well, and the rest were only excuses.

"People are blaming our 3-0 defeat against Pakistan on all sorts of things - ranging from our two-month break before Christmas to complacency after reaching the top of the world rankings.""To me, they are just excuses. We lost because we did not bat well enough against Pakistan's spin bowlers," he added.

He said his team aspires to become cricket's one of the all time great team and leave a legacy behind them, but that won't happen until they learn to play complex spin bowlers like Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman.

"Our stated ambition is to be acknowledged as one of the best teams ever - alongside the Windies of the 1980s and the Aussies of the 1990s and 2000s. We want to leave a legacy of excellence.""But that isn't going to happen unless we learn to cope better with the complexities of batting against men such as Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman," he said. (ANI)