'Infuriated' Botham blasts Strauss for 'brainwashing' bowlers into negative tactics

Former Test captain Sir Ian Botham has come down heavily on the England team management for their tactics in the second Test against South Africa, even suggesting the bowlers had been "brainwashed" into accepting a policy of negative field placings and lack of good catchers.

Andrew Strauss' side had reached 48 for no wicket on Day 2 of the second Test in response to South Africa's score of 419 when bad light and rain brought play to a premature close.

Botham criticized captain Andrew Strauss' perceived lack of aggression in the morning session, while part-time spinner Kevin Pietersen's dismissal of Jacques Rudolph brought the debate over Graeme Swann's omission into even sharper focus.

Strauss dropped Swann and chose to field in the Second Test against South Africa in a bid to help England cling on to their No.1 status.

England fast bowler Stuart Broad dismissed Botham's criticism, saying: "It's just Beefy being negative. There's always that expectation and pressure when you win the toss and bowl, that the opposition [shouldn't] get 400. But wicket- wise I don't think it was very dangerous to bat on. I thought we stuck at it pretty well."