HAMPSHIRE legend Barry Richards has slammed the England's selectors for recalling John Crawley.

Richards has been coaching Sri Lanka's batsmen in preparation for this tour and is at Lord's this week in his role as a Channel Four commentator.

But he believes that handing Crawley his first Test appearance since January 1999 was a big mistake.

Richards, 56, said: "It was an ideal opportunity to blood some young talent. I was very surprised that the selectors went for the likes of Crawley and Dominic Cork.

"Playing against Sri Lanka would have been the perfect time to play someone like Ian Bell. I haven't seen a lot of him but he is someone who is earmarked for the future so he should be playing this week."

South African Richards scored 15,607 runs during his ten years with Hampshire at an average of 50 before leaving in 1978.

And he believes that Crawley's impressive start to the season - which began with that debut 272 at Kent - should not have persuaded the England selectors that he was ready for a recall.

Richards, whose highest score for Hampshire was 240, added: "I saw the wicket at Canterbury when Sri Lanka played their first game of the tour there.

"It was such a solid track, perfect for batting, and I can't believe that Crawley only scored 272 when he was in for more than nine hours.

"I don't think I could have batted that long but if I had I would like to have scored a few more runs than that.

"The modern game is all about scoring quickly and winning games.

"I can see why Hampshire signed him. He has added a lot of stability to their middle order but that doesn't really appeal to me.

"I like to see fast-scoring batsmen and to select Crawley on the back of his performances in county cricket was wrong.

"County cricket is no indication at all of whether a player is ready to play at Test level.

"I worry about the quality, or lack of it. The bowling is very ordinary which is why I always take batsmen's scores in county cricket with a pinch of salt."

Crawley could bat in an England shirt for the first time in more than three years today after spending the first two days in the field as Sri Lanka declared their first innings on 555-8. England, in reply, closed on 27-1.