Sydney: Legendary leg spinner Shane Warne taunted Australia Twenty20 captain George Bailey during Melbourne Stars clash with Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League on Saturday.
Warne’s pointed critique of Bailey was different to his usual barbs because, rather than drawing on the rich tradition of bowlers trying to mess with batsmen`s minds, this sledge was made for television.
“You would think the Australian Twenty20 captain would smack me out of the park, wouldn`t you, rather than keep nicking me?” the Age quoted a miked-up Warne, as saying after Cameron White had dropped Bailey for a second time at slip off his bowling.
Bailey, leading the Hobart Hurricanes against Warne`s Melbourne Stars, didn`t know he had been publicly scoffed at by his former Stars teammate until after the match.
Asked if he felt he deserved more respect, Bailey deferred to the great leg-spinner, whose supreme self-belief is given daily oxygen by the Big Bash League publicity machine.
“Dunno, is it disrespectful? Until I actually see it, I don`t think I`ll get into a war of words with Warnie if that`s all right,” Bailey said Bailey. “I think he`s still the world`s greatest leg-spinner, isn`t he? Who`s going to have a Test comeback at the age of 44 or whatever he is? [Warne is 43].
So he needs a bit of respect,” he added. Warne brought White into the attack to take his mind off the dropped catches and the Victorian captain had Bailey caught in the deep.
ANI
First Published: Monday, December 17, 2012, 14:54