Fraser hammers Hughes critics

New Middlesex managing director of cricket Angus Fraser has implored people who disagree with his county's decision to sign Phillip Hughes to 'grow up'.

The former England seamer has faced criticism ever since Middlesex announced they had brokered a deal to bring the new Australian batting sensation to Lord's for the first six weeks of the season.

The 20-year-old, who struck two centuries in his second Test, clearly has not been fazed by the media storm which greeted his arrival, rattling off successive championship centuries against Glamorgan, Leicestershire and Surrey.

Phillip Hughes goes on the attack against Surrey as he clocks up a third championship ton for Middlesex

In contrast, for every unorthodox drive Hughes sends to the boundary, Fraser has had to pull on his protective gear and defend another bouncer from a journalist who believes Middlesex are giving Hughes an unfair advantage by allowing him a taster of English conditions before the Ashes begins.

"That's caused a bit of controversy," he told episode 6 of the TwelfthMan Podcast.

"We at the county we are delighted with how he's fit in and the way he has performed for us and that we can attract one of the most exciting cricketers in the world to Lord's.

"I can understand why some people have questioned Middlesex's motives in an Ashes summer, but people need to grow up a bit. We want a good, competitive Ashes, two good sides playing it and England to win."

Fraser knows all about playing against Australia having appeared in five Ashes, all of which were won by the old enemy. He did, however, enjoy a fair degree of success against Australia, taking 46 of his 177 Test wickets during 12 matches against England's most famous opponents.

Looking ahead to the five-Test series which starts in July, he refutes the idea that Middlesex have given Australia an advantage.

"I don't think giving a 20-year-old half a dozen games in England in April and May is going to have a huge effect. We signed him in mid-January before he had been picked for the squad for South Africa where he scored a hundred in each innings of his second Test.

"What are we supposed to do? Rip his contract up, pay his money and write the money off? I don't think that's a realistic option."