Test great Shane Warne has launched an extraordinary attack on former Wallaby Pat Howard, calling him a muppet.
Warne says Cricket Australia needs to look beyond the rugby community and get current cricket people involved in the game at administrative level.
As CA’s high-performance chief, Howard has overseen the selection panel’s controversial strategy of rotating players in and out of the side this summer in an attempt to avoid injuries, particularly in terms of managing fast bowlers’ workloads.
Warne, who is a close mate of Australia’s Test and one-day captain Michael Clarke, said on Twitter on Monday night that it was ridiculous to deprive the Aussie sporting public of seeing the star batsman in action during some of the one-day games against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
“I think CA really need to look at the people who are making decisions on all facets of cricket in Australia, we r (sic) seriously becoming a joke!” Warne said.
“Absolute rubbish re selections,rotations,resting & farcical decisions on matches, joke.. Dudding the public & to many excuses.. Wake up CA.
“Can CA please put current cricket people in charge to run the game,select teams, not ex rugby or any other sports people plse, seriously
“We have the best batsmen / captain in the world in @MClarke23 (Michael Clarke) – He needs current cricket people to help him out not muppets ”
Warne was fined a total of $9500 and suspended for one match during the just-completed BBL season while playing for Melbourne Stars for various breaches of discipline including clashing with Melbourne Renegades’ player Marlon Samuels and not naming himself as captain in a semi-final in a bid to avoid a possible suspension for slow over-rates.
Warne’s comments were made during Australia’s two-run loss to Sri Lanka at the MCG as the tourists claimed a 2-0 Twenty20 series win.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Hiiiiiiiyah!
Split
Guest
I remember the last high profile team that thought the player rotation system was the way to go.The All Black team management swore by it, against much criticism from all, that was until they lost the 2007 World Cup quarter final to France due in no small part to a high injury toll.
Julian
Guest
Well according to Wiki, Miss Piggy "... is convinced she is destined for stardom, and nothing will stand in her way. She has a capricious nature, at times determined to convey an image of feminine charm, but suddenly flying into a violent rage whenever she thinks she has been insulted or thwarted". Chairman of selectors anyone?!
Disco
Roar Guru
Zing!
jameswm
Guest
Or Stuey Clark, the best cricket administrator of the lot. However I think he's realised he's too smart for cricket and wants to move into other areas.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Miss Piggy might do a better job. Hiiiiiiiiyah! I like Shane's hatchet job on the english language too, considering they thrust it on half the unsuspecting planet, we should do wot we loik wiv it. How about @MCLARKE23? Surely not another boring Michael Jordan reference?
Arthur fonzarelli.
Guest
If pat Howard is a muppet , then shane Warne must be Oscar the grouch . He does have a point though .
Johnno
Guest
Warney is more focused these days on rumoured botox jobs to his middle aged face with his also rumoured bottom girlfriend liz also middle aged me and warney still want the limelight hurley. Both of them really need to find something better to do in life that swan around about much a do about nothing. Warney could offer australian cricket a lot more if he focused on real stuff. He looked so orange when the OZ open tennis was on.
Jason
Guest
Perhaps someone should tell Warney that if he used English and punctuation then it wouldn't be so easy to misinterpret him.
Tony Tea
Guest
Warnie responds:
Obviously Warnie was calling everyone at CA a muppet.Tony Tea
Guest
I notice "r" gets a (sic):
But "to" does not get a (sic): A case of selective (sic) or simply double-o awareness? And as for the punctuation.Jason
Guest
I wish Warne had been more specific. Until we know which Muppet Warne is referring to, it's hard to gauge how accurate the comments are. I'm thinking Fozzie Bear,
Hoy
Roar Guru
On an unrelated note, I can't stand twitter accounts being used as quotes. On a related note, to me, the High Performance Manager is there to facilitate (buzz word) the continuing high standards of fitness, and form. It is a sports role, not an administration role. They make decisions based on what will keep the performance of the team at a high standard? Now I understand that Pat Howard is not a cricketer, so people are going after him saying "what would he know?", but the fact is, he played rugby at a very high standard, and is very smart and analytical. Perhaps too much so if the rotation policy backed by science(?) is anything to go by. I think Australian cricket is too smart by half these days. All these players, in and out, and none are really doing a good job. We have young blokes with massive flaws in their game being promoted into spots, simply because the other bloke is being given "a rest". I always view cricket as very much a momentum game. If you have form, don't stop. If you don't have form, don't stop. Also, we have so many prospects breaking down these days. How many front line bowlers do we have? I see one good stint, then nothing for about 9 months from some of them, because they are busted units at about 25, always pulling hammies, etc. Are they being put through too much weights? Are they being trained for general fitness, and not enough bowling fitness? I can't work it out, but it has been a 5 year trend in Australia for our bowlers to blow out. It needs urgent addressing, and not by rotating I don't think. End rant.
jimmy
Guest
I agree with Warnie. Something is seriously wrong with much of the current physical fitness programmes. Much of it appears to be based on belief rather than science. Look up Birmingham University high performance research for some interesting studies as opposed to old wives tales. For example, I now follow their recommendations of high intensity training vs traditional methods of endless jogging, gyms etc. My programme consists of 2x 3 min sessions per week. My heart specialist is amazed at my improvement.(I am 82 with a defribellator). I use no equipment - only a convenient number of staircases in a nearby building. Much of the training is based on wrong assumptions and, while it is well meaning, it causes more problems than solutions.Hence all the confusion over rotation, injuries etc. Our cricketers don't need to bench press massive weights. In fact they need never set foot in a gym! I am sure that intelligent programmes, skills based, will be sufficient. Imagine Babe Ruth having to keep to current physical training demands. I'm sure he would never have made it as a baseballer! I also have reservations about the power given to coaches. I prefer that the Captain runs the side and his word is final.The coach can advise etc. but not be the boss.
Johnno
Guest
It is a very valid point. Being a CEO, is different to being the high-performance manager totally different jobs. Guys like Nucifora who was the high performance manger of Aussy rugby, he was an ex-wallaby. Warney I agree with. A guy like Darren Lehmann would be perfect for this role, or a Darren Berry, or Tom Moody, or Dean Hills.