Australia, Proteas duel How Starc dealt with Warne’s constant criticism
Pat Cummins is adamant Australia will not retaliate to any verbal barrages that come their way when they face South Africa for the first time in a test since the ball-tampering saga.
The star fast bowler will return from a quad injury to captain Australia in the eagerly-anticipated showdown at the Gabba, which is nearing a sell-out for day one today.
It will be the first red-ball match between the fierce rivals since Australia’s ill-fated tour of South Africa in 2018.
That series was spiteful even before the infamous Cape Town Test, with David Warner and Quinton de Kock’s stairwell clash causing significant tensions from the outset. Star Proteas quick Kagiso Rabada was given a two-match ban after the second test, then dramatically cleared of making shoulder contract with Steve Smith.
But the series will be forever remembered for what happened at Newlands, with sandpaper-gate scandal still looming large almost five years on.
Cummins believes the Australian team is less ‘‘abrasive’’ than in the past and the recent behaviour of the team spoke for itself.
‘‘We’re really strong on who we are as a team, how we want to go about it,’’ he said. ‘‘The last 12 months have been a great example on that.’’
Cummins replaces luckless Queenslander Michael Neser as the only change to the Australian XI.
The Proteas, who saluted 3-1 in 2018, have had even more of a makeover than Australia since the last series.
Prolific legends Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis have retired, leaving Australia to deal with a South African batting line-up even Cummins is unfamiliar with. But the new-look Proteas can take confidence in knowing they have been successful on the last three test tours of Australia. AAP
The first delivery of last season’s Ashes series was when Shane Warne’s relentless criticism of Mitchell Starc crossed the line into vaudeville.
Starc sent a screaming yorker swinging around the legs of England opener Rory Burns that crashed into his leg stump, sending Brisbane’s Gabba crowd into raptures.
But having suggested before the test that Starc shouldn’t have been in the side, Warne was almost deadpan in the Fox commentary box.
‘‘That’s a half-volley on leg stump. It’s a great start from the Aussies and Mitchell Starc, but as an opening batsman, you’ve got to be able to hit that. You shouldn’t miss that ball,’’ Warne said.
Australia’s greatest bowler, who died of a heart attack last March, called Starc ‘‘soft’’ at the Gabba in 2014 but insisted his criticism of Starc was never personal, and that he would have been happy to catch up with the big left-armer for a beer.
‘‘I guess we’ll never know. I don’t know,’’ Starc said ahead of the first test against South Africa, beginning on today at the Gabba. ‘‘I never got a phone call to take up that offer. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.’’
Starc is just four wickets away from becoming only the seventh bowler to take 300 wickets for Australia. Warne tops the list with 708.
There is a belief that Warne’s criticism stemmed from something Starc said a decade ago, when Warne was turning out for Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash at the age of 42.
Australia had spent six years unsuccessfully casting around for a replacement spinner and Warne never shut down suggestions of a comeback.
‘‘He’s [Warne] done his time,’’ Starc said