Shane Warne
Shane Warne

Shane Warne has blasted Ashes players for being “too friendly” and believes it has cost England any semblance of a competitive edge this summer. Cameras have routinely shown Australian and English players conversing in friendly conversation out in the middle before the start of play each day.

Shane Warne said there’s time and a place to spend time with your mates, but emphasized that in the middle of the career-defining Ashes series, it shouldn’t happen. The cameras were on David Warner and Mark Wood out in the middle before the start of play at the SCG on Thursday. The pair were enjoying a friendly chat which prompted some strong remarks from the Fox Cricket commentary team.

Shane Warne - Getty Images
Shane Warne – Getty Images

Shane Warne: Don’t Think England Have Been Aggressive Enough, I’d Like Them To Get In The Face Of Australia A Bit More

Legendary Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne believes that the England National Cricket Team hasn’t been aggressive enough against Australia in the ongoing Ashes 2021/22 and he wants the Joe Root-led side to get “in the face of Australia a bit more”.

“The relationship between the two teams has been quite amicable, hasn’t it,” Adam Gilchrist said.

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. 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,” said Shane Warne.

David Warner. Credits: Twitter
David Warner. Credits: Twitter

“When you’re friendly 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,” said Shane Warne.

Joe Root-led England has performed terribly and has 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.

Michael Vaughan Stressed That The Players Are Friendly For Playing In Franchise Leagues Together

England has been thumped in the opening three Tests of the summer and it appears only rain can save them from going down 4-0 in Sydney this weekend.

“You’ve got to be careful to not lose your edge,“ Shane Warne continued.

“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.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan then pointed out why times may have changed.

“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,” Vaughan said.

“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.”

Michael Vaughan (Image Credit: Twitter)
Michael Vaughan (Image Credit: Twitter)

Shane Warne then referenced former skipper Allan Border’s famous approach in the late 80s that led to an era of dominance for the Aussies.

“I go back a long while and I know it was a completely different era and all that… 1989 Ashes,” Shane Warne said.

“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. Knowing AB he would have dropped you (if you were caught talking).”

“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. 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.”

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.” Shane Warne highlighted that Allan Border would have dropped a player if he was caught talking to the opposition.

Jonny Bairstow saved England the blushes with a counter-attacking seventh Test century on the third day of the fourth Test at the SCG. England is 258/7 in reply to Australia’s 416/8 declared.