Australian cricket great Shane Warne, on Wednesday (December 8), revealed that the newly-appointed Test vice-captain Steve Smith confronted him on the phone call about his "harsh" remarks and refusal to endorse his return to the official leadership position.
Smith captained Australia in all three formats for three years before he was banned from any leadership positions for 24 months for his involvement in the infamous ball-tampering saga in 2018.
Recently, Pat Cummins was named Australia’s new Test captain, with Smith as his deputy, after Tim Paine stood down from the captaincy last month over a sexting scandal.
Well, Cricket Australia’s decision to have Smith as Test vice-captain didn’t go down well with Warne and the legendary spinner went on to claim that the right-hander should never captain Australia again following the infamous ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
Questioning Cricket Australia’s different treatment, Warne argued that if David Warner was banned for life from a leadership position for his role in the sandpaper gate incident, then why wasn’t Smith given the same penalty and banned from captaincy for life?
Warne told foxsports.com.au: “I don’t agree with him being vice-captain, I just don’t agree with that. I think how can a captain on his watch (allow) Sandpaper Gate (to) happen and a player like David Warner, who has got the best cricket brain, suddenly never be able to be a leader but the captain, where it happened on his watch, is allowed to become the vice-captain. It doesn’t make any sense to me whatsoever.”
Following his remarks, Smith contacted Warne personally and "attacked" him for his opinion, although the spin legend said they had a conversation about his public disapproval over the phone.
Speaking to Fox Sports, Warne revealed: “I spoke to Steve Smith. He messaged me and said, ‘Jeez, you’re a bit harsh on me aren’t you' and we talked it out. That’s what respect does. Just because someone doesn’t like your opinion doesn’t mean you have to get nasty and personal about it. Everyone’s allowed to have their opinion. Just because you don’t agree with it.”
He continued, “I was happy Steve Smith contacted me because I consider him a friend. We’ve worked together at the Rajasthan Royals, I used to work with him when he was bowling, was he a leg-spinner a long-time ago? So we’ve got a respect for each other and it was nice of him to actually ring me and say, ‘Mate, why did you think that?’
I told him my point of view and he said, ‘I understand it and I’m sure a lot of people have that point of view too.’ But it doesn’t mean we don’t like each other, so we respect each other and I like Steve Smith, how could you not? He’s a great guy, he’s one of the best Test batsmen in the world, if not the best in the Test arena, so I think that’s how it should be.”
Warner concluded, “Someone shouldn’t be personally attacked for having an opinion and just because you don’t agree with it, whatever there is, there’s got to be respected. As he said to me, he said ‘Mate, you’ve been in the game for 30-odd years, you’ve earned the right to have your opinion and I respect it, I just don’t agree with it.’ And that’s OK, I just think there’s been too much if you have a different opinion.”
(With Fox Sports Inputs)
