Oz should pick ‘readymade’ spinners, not ‘rookies’ for India tour: Warne

Sydney: Legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne has urged Australia to pick up experienced spin bowlers for the upcoming tour of India, adding a Test series in the sub-continent is not the right way to give work experience to country’s rookie spinners.

Warne has cautioned Australia about sending a work experience leg spinner to India despite speculation that the selectors were considering either Queensland`s Cameron Boyce or Sydney`s Adam Zampa for next month`s four Test tour, News.com.au reports. Warne said he doesn’t think Test cricket is the place to have work experience, and added that young spin bowlers should develop and prove themselves in the domestic Sheffield Shield first. Warne added he would have liked Steve Smith to have a few seasons of leg spin in the Sheffield Shield to help him develop for the fierce India tour With the Test team sapped of 247 Tests worth of experience with Hussey and Ricky Ponting retiring this summer, Warne sensed that heavy-duty tours of India and England require hard men. Warne even refused to rule out veteran Brad Hodge, who no longer plays first-class cricket, out of reckoning for the India series. Warne said Hodge is in the best form of his life, adding that the Australian team should have the perfect blend of experience and youth. Warne added that there is no point in picking two or three young players just for the sake of it because they`re young, and added these rookies should earn their spot in the team. Warne wanted to see players picked in the same way Mike Hussey got his chance to debut at the age of 30 after 11 seasons of first-class cricket. ANI