Boycott suggests feng shui help for Owen

Former England cricketer Geoff Boycott has urged Michael Owen to try the ancient Chinese art of feng shui in a bid to get his World Cup ambitions back on track, the Daily Express newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old Manchester United striker has scored 40 goals in 89 appearances for England but has not played for his country since March 2008 due to injury and because he has been out of favour with international coach Fabio Capello.

Owen has also failed to win a regular first-team place since moving to Old Trafford in July. United fan Boycott says feng shui was a big help to him when he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2002 and has told the soccer player to try it out.

"I wrote to Michael Owen a while back to say, 'look at this and see what you think'," Boycott was quoted as saying in the Express. "I have seen him play and he needs that little spark which maybe this can give him.

"He hasn't replied to my letter yet but if he does I will put him in touch with some experts in feng shui and see where that takes him. During treatment for cancer I got into feng shui.

"I slept in different rooms, facing different ways. They believe that as you sleep you heal. People who don't know anything about it say it is rubbish but it worked for me – I'm alive," said former opening batsman Boycott.

The World Cup in South Africa starts in June.