Former Australian spinner Shane Warne said Cricket Australia’s attempts to add a positive tone to the team’s new path forward after all the controversies off-the-field recently ‘makes you vomit’ on Sunday while on commentary duty in Perth.
“Can I cut to the chase here? They need to find the best captain, find who’s going to be the best captain for each form of the game and say ‘guys, run with me’,” Warne was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo during his Fox Cricket commentary stint in the first ODI against South Africa in Perth, where the hosts was handed their seventh consecutive defeat in the format — their worst run. “Forget all the words, forget all the verbal diarrhoea and all that sort of stuff. That’s all rubbish, seriously, it makes you vomit.”
A day before the Perth ODI, Australia’s dressing room photos revealed words such as “patience”, “pressure” and “elite honesty” on posters in the player area. It was part of a 38-word Player Pact. Elite honesty, in particular, was widely ridiculed on social media.
“You can write your 200-page document, you can have sports science and high performance and all that other ridiculous stuff,” Warne said. “I think some of the stuff they’re worrying about is trying to look like they’re doing the right thing. You can’t forget what Australians are, their DNA, and that is hard, aggressive, positive cricket and then play fairly.”
The review by the Sydney-based Ethics Centre blasted CA’s conduct leading up to the tampering incident in March, when players were caught using sandpaper to alter the ball at a Test match in Cape Town.
It found that an “arrogant” and “controlling” culture within the governing body contributed to players, who existed in a “gilded bubble”, cheating in the pursuit of victory.
The document also included complaints that there was a bullying culture in elite men’s cricket.
It made 42 recommendations, including establishing an anti-harassment code to stop sledging and training to improve team leaders’ “moral courage”.
Then-captain Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner were banned for 12 months, and batsman Cameron Bancroft for nine months for their roles in the incident.
“At the end of the day you’ve got to play cricket, it’s a simple game and it’s a performance-based game. You’ve got to perform on the field. All these words and everything, it’s all about actions and I think it’s all about basics,” Warne added.
“The captain and vice-captain lead the way and the rest come after you. You inspire, inspire from within with your performances and the way you perform on the field.
“None of this writing words, 200-page documents, just get out and play better.”
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