Shane Warne has revealed he got a text message from the former Australian captain Steve Smith before the first Ashes test match at Gabba, after what he wrote about Smith’s new leadership role in the Australian test match set up.
After being sacked as Australia’s Test captain back in 2018, Smith has been given a leadership role by Cricket Australia (CA) again, this time as a vice-captain, with Pat Cummins being appointed as the full-time captain going into the Ashes 2021-22.
Shane Warne, pretty similar to Ian Chappell, also had a view that Steve Smith being given another leadership role, while David Warner’s leadership ban still not being lifted is not right, considering the fact that both of them were banned for the same reasons.
The legendary Australian leggie was asked about it at the end of the first day’s play at Gabba again and while he said he holds his view, he revealed he has had a conversation with Smith about it already. According to Warne, Smith insisted to him that he was a bit harsh with his words in his column, but also told him he was well entitled to his opinion having played so much of the cricket for Australia.
Warne knows Smith from close quarters as he had mentored him a little bit when he was trying to build his career as a leg spinner while coming through the ranks in Australian cricket and the two of them had a good experience working together at Rajasthan Royals again, where Smith was the captain for a couple of years.
Shane Warne had no issues with Steve Smith confronting him
Warne said it was nice of Smith to send him a text message and have a discussion, as a difference of opinion shouldn’t create any personal differences between people. It’s very much possible for people to get along well and still have different opinions on a certain matter.
“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,” Warne said while speaking on Fox Sports at the end of the first day’s play at Gabba.
Mark Waugh, Shane Warne’s Aussie teammate back in the day and one of the other pundits working at Fox Sports, supported the appointment of Steve Smith as vice-captain saying Australia needed an experienced player to take control whenever Pat Cummins was not going to be available because of workload or injury issues.
