LONDON. May 4 (Reuters/ Internet): Ian Botham on Thursday ripped England's decision to risk its World Cup squad in county matches ahead of next month's tournament.

Former England captain Botham, touring the country as an ambassador for the World Cup, believes the selectors could have made a major mistake in allowing their 15-strong squad to play for their counties following the return from their disappointing displays in Sharjah.

Lancashire all-rounder Ian Austin has already been forced to pull out of his county's current championship match with Leicestershire to receive treatment on a thigh strain. Botham fears other players could suffer even more serious injuries by being exposed to the county game.

"Form is difficult to judge at this time of year and I think it's a mistake to see players playing county cricket before the World Cup," stressed Botham.

"It's stupid to risk someone picking up a hamstring strain or something like that and be struggling.

"The Australians get it right and don't have naughty-boy

nets — if they get beaten they learn from it and get bn with it.

"I get the Impression the boys are all playing county cricket now because they didn’t play very well in Sharjah, which I don't agree with."

Botham believes England should have followed Australia's example and despatched the squad to another location rather than allow them to play for their counties.

Australia, which just finished a gruelling tour of the West Indies, has allowed its Sers a break in the Bahamas

re travelling to England for the start of the World Cup campaign.

Botham said: "I'd have sent them away en bloc out of the way for five or six days to get to know each other and do a bit of bonding.

"The Australians do everything together and it reflects in the way they play. They are now getting their feet up in the Bahamas after the West Indies tour. They will fly their wives in and then, when they get here, they will be refreshed and hungry again because they have had 10 days with their families."

Botham also said England's recent involvement in the Sharjah tournament was a major mistake because the conditions were so different to those it was likely to experience during the World Cup.

"I don't think there was any point in going to Sharjah. The conditions were completely alien and the players had just had a very hard tour of Australia.

"When you look at guys like Darren Gough, who bowled his guts out in Australia, he would nave been better off on a desert, island with his family putting’ his feet up."