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David Warner admits sledging in Gabba Ashes Test was over the top – The Australian
Posted On 25 Nov 2013
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Australia’s David Warner celebrates with his team after taking the catch to remove Matt Prior during day four of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba. Source: Getty Images
DAVID Warner admits the abuse dished up by he and teammates in their first Test victory may have gone too far, but made it clear Australia has taken the verbal fight to England for a reason.
As relations between the two Ashes teams threatens to reach breaking point by the second Test in Adelaide, former England player and TV commentator David Lloyd claimed Warner’s on-field sledging was “nasty, horrible stuff”.
England captain Alastair Cook accused Warner of being “disrespectful” for calling Jonathan Trott “weak” and saying the visiting batsmen had “scared eyes” in a press conference after day three.
But Lloyd said Warner had also overstepped the mark in his on-field sledging.
In a spiteful conclusion to the first Test, Australian captain Michael Clarke was captured on a stump microphone telling England’s No.1 niggler but No.11 batsman James Anderson to “get ready for a broken f ing arm”.
Captains Clarke and Cook were happy to leave on-field stoushes out in the middle, however it’s clear the dislike built-up over back-to-back series has boiled over.
Warner might have acknowledged things went overboard, but made a point of not backing down from his comments.
It seems Australia’s mental disintegration tactics are deliberate.
“I made those comments for a reason,” he said at Brisbane airport today.
“Look, yesterday, the bounce and pace got to them again.
“It is Ashes cricket. Probably went a little bit too far with the comments, but it’s cricket and now it’s in the back of their mind.”
Television editors might have let Clarke’s expletive slip through, but Lloyd said there was a tirade of abuse not picked up on the telecast.
Lloyd, who played nine Tests for England and is a veteran broadcaster, said the Australians, led by Warner had crossed a line.
“We have the benefit of using a stump microphone on Sky, which is not allowed to go to air, and I have to say that some of the stuff that was going on there went too far,” he told the Daily Mail.
“I’m a big lad who has heard a few things in my time but David Warner in particular came out with some really nasty, horrible stuff.
“I would like to take him back to 1980 and listen to what he had to say to Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge and Dessie Haynes.
“Coming right behind them was Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall.
“Banter is great, I listened to enough of it when I played in Australia in 1974-75 … but coarseness is unacceptable.”
AAP
