Ashes 2021-22: Don’t Think England Have Been Aggressive Enough, I’d Like Them To Get In The Face Of Australia A Bit More – Shane Warne
Published - 07 Jan 2022, 12:09 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:03 AM
Legendary Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne believes that the England National Cricket Team haven’t been aggressive enough against Australia in the ongoing Ashes and he wants the Joe Root-led side to get “in the face of Australia a bit more”.
Joe Root-led England have performed terribly and have already lost the 5-match Ashes series by losing the first three games. England lost the first match by 9 wickets at the Gabba, the second game by 275 runs at Adelaide Oval and the third game by an innings and 14 runs at Melbourne Cricket Ground. England are trailing by 0-3 in the 5-match Test series. Currently, the Three Lions are focused on avoiding a whitewash.
IPL 2022 Auction | IPL 2022 Teams | IPL News and Updates | IPL 2022 Schedule | ICC Teams Rankings | ICC Players Rankings
Meanwhile, during the commentary in the 4th Ashes Test, Warne lashed out at the Ashes players for being “too friendly”. In the ongoing Ashes, series cameras have routinely shown Australia and England players enjoying a friendly conversation out in the middle before the start of play each day. The debate between the fox commentary team took place after Aussie opener David Warner and English speedster Mark Wood were seen enjoying a conversation before the start of play in the SCG Test.
“The relationship between the two teams has been quite amicable, hasn’t it,” Adam Gilchrist said on Fox Sports.
Shane Warne then interjected: “Too friendly for my mine. When I say too friendly, let me clarify that – I think the series is played in great spirit and we want to see that camaraderie, I think back to 2005 Ashes, the spirit between both sides was outstanding and the skill on display captured the imagination of all the public, everywhere around the world.”
“But I don’t know about this (Warner and Wood talking in the middle) just before the game. We don’t need a big full-on chat every morning where every player is talking to every player,” Warne said.
Shane Warne added that the reason behind Australia and England players getting too friendly might be them staying in the same hotel.
“I don’t think England have been aggressive enough, I’d like them to get in the face of Australia a bit more and come out a bit harder. They’re staying in the same hotel, probably sitting around bumping into each other because they can’t do anything, they see each other at the ground and are way too friendly and familiar,” Shane Warne said.
“When you’re friends with someone it’s pretty hard when you’ve got the ball in your hand down the other end to think ‘Oh he’s not a bad bloke this bloke’ and you don’t go easy on him but you haven’t got that extra (edge), I wanted the batsmen to hate me, I wanted them to absolutely hate me and smash me out of the park because then I had an edge,” he said.
“You’ve got to be careful to not lose your edge. They’re all competitive and they all want to get out there but don’t lose that edge of wanting to knock the opposition over and bury them, and when you’ve got them in this position – put the foot on their throat because you’re going to play them again. Australia haven’t won in England for ages. They’re too nice,” Warne added.
Meanwhile, former England captain Michael Vaughan mentioned that the Ashes players are too friendly because they play a lot of franchise cricket together. However, he added that he is on Shane Warne’s side and said that the ” players been a little bit too nice.”
“It’s a different era, these players play a lot together in all these different franchise leagues so they know each other probably better than we did in our day, People say New Zealand are the nicest team in the world and they’re doing pretty well at the moment, I completely get that argument as well but I’m a little bit with Shane.
“This England team, they haven’t batted well enough to be hostile in the field, they haven’t had enough runs to put the Aussies under enough pressure but I just think they’ve been a little bit too nice.”
AB Came In 1989 And Said ‘Right, Don’t Even Talk To Them’ – Shane Warne
Legendary spinner Warner also referenced Allan Border’s famous approach in the late 80s which resulted in Australia becoming a dominant force in world cricket. Warne said that Allan Border clearly told the team not to talk to the opposition.
“I go back a long while and I know it was a completely different era and all that… 1989 Ashes, Australia and England used to drink together, on rest days in Test they used to all hang out together, that’s all too nice, AB came in 1989 and said ‘Right, don’t even talk to them. They were still all mates but he changed things… 93 the same thing, he said don’t even talk to them, you’re not even allowed to talk in the morning,” Warne said.
Shane Warne highlighted that Allan Border would have dropped a player if he was caught talking to the opposition.
“Knowing AB he would have dropped you (if you were caught talking to the Poms). If you walked out on the field and Graham Gooch said ‘G’day mate’, you’d just keep walking, you wouldn’t even talk to him and suddenly England said ‘These Aussies won’t even talk to us’ but it annoyed them. After the game, you’d have a beer with them, no problem. And on the field, no problem if played in the right spirit. But they’re not your mates when you’re playing, they’re not your friends,” Warne said.
“After the game, sure they’re your mates. But when you’re playing cricket for you country in an Ashes series where your whole career is defined by what sort of player you are, I’m sorry but I don’t like it and I think back to when Australia turned it around when England were hammering Australia hammered England all the time it was ‘don’t even talk to them’ and Australia dominated England for a long period of time. Now since we’ve gone nicey nice, Australia haven’t won in England for a long time,” Shane Warne further added.
Get All Cricket match prediction and fantasy Tips – CLICK HERE
Cricket Match Prediction | T20 World Cup Match Prediction | Today Match Fantasy Prediction | Fantasy Cricket Tips | Cricket News and Updates | Cricket Live Score
