British 400m runner Tim Benjamin has blasted the decision to leave Mark Lewis-Francis out of the 4x100m team.

In the absence of the first-choice teenager, Britain failed to get the baton round when his replacement, Jonathan Barbour, was involved in a mix-up with Christian Malcolm in Saturday's first-round heat.

With it went yet another British medal chance and Benjamin, a member of the 4x400m relay team in Edmonton, said that was down to a team management.

“You can't leave someone out who's run 9.97,” he said, referring to Lewis-Francis' performance in the individual 100m.

“They should have kept him in. His hamstring's OK, he would have got the baton round. You should have the same team in (every round).”

There were suggestions Lewis-Francis had an injury, and Benjamin admitted: “He did a run and felt a bit tight and had to pull up in practice.”

But Benjamin said such an injury would not have stopped him from running in the final.

It was the second year in succession Britain had failed to come through the heats in a major championship.

At last year's Olympics they were disqualified after an error-strewn race which saw two botched changeovers.