Shane Warne not in favour of Australia adopting Kiwis’ approach to cricket

Australian spin legend Shane Warne has spoken out against the recent demand for the Australian team to follow New Zealand’s team culture following the ball-tampering scandal earlier this year.

The scandal saw Cricket Australia impose one-year bans against captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. The episode also saw Australia coach Darren Lehmann step down.

The Kiwis’ ideology and spirit of play has been praised under Brendon McCullum and captain Kane Williamson.

“I’m not sure there were team culture problems … but I have noticed there is a lot of whingeing coming out of the Australian camp in recent times, about the opposition and things like that,” www.cricket.au quoted Warne as telling The Herald Sun.

“I think that’s un-Australian, I have never really heard any Australian sides do that. But I think it’s a great opportunity for everyone in world cricket to draw a line in the sand and say ‘how do we want to play the game, what do we stand for, what’s the style of play we want’?”

“I don’t think we want to play like the Kiwis, which I heard someone say. I mean c’mon. The Kiwis, no thank you,” said Warne. “But we probably want something in between the Kiwis and Australia at the moment. I want us to play hard but fair, tough, uncompromising cricket, but shake hands and play in the spirit of the game and show good sportsmanship.”

Lehmann had offered support to the notion of changing the Australian team’s culture to follow their neighbours before he resigned.

“The thing for me would be if we take a leaf out of someone like, say, New Zealand’s book in the way they play and respect the opposition,” Lehmann has stated before the fourth Test against South Africa.

“We’ve got to make sure we’re respecting the game and its traditions.”