Cook accuses Warner of disrespect

The last half hour of Australia’s 381-run victory at the Gabba was punctuated with a series of run-ins between players, most volubly led by captain Michael Clarke, and England fast bowler James Anderson, before fellow quick Peter Siddle gave Anderson a hostile send-off at the fall of the final wicket (see video). 

At one stage, Clarke was overheard on the stump microphone to warn Anderson that he should “get ready for a broken f… arm” and shortly after he approached Anderson mid-pitch and pointed his finger at him while issuing another verbal spray.

While both captains played down the significance of the spat after the match, Cook took issue with Warner’s accusation from the previous evening that the England players exhibited “scared eyes” in the face of Australia’s fast bowling onslaught.

The Australian opener also criticised England batsman Jonathan Trott’s dismissal on the third day as “pretty poor and pretty weak”.

“I think the comment last night by David Warner was quite disrespectful to any professional cricketer,” Cook said, before adding that if there was any breach of the International Cricket Council’s code of conduct involved in Warner’s comments it was up to the ICC to pursue it.

“On the pitch it’s always going to be war. Anything said out in the middle is always going to be tough cricket, and that’s what people pay to see, so (keeping it) on the pitch is fine.”

For his part, Clarke was unrepentant, saying that nothing that has passed between players on both teams exceeds what he believes is healthy on-field banter.

He also stressed that no member of his team holds any personal grudges or disrespects individual England players, and he attributed the verbal tussles to the intensity of the rivalry between Australia and England.

“I still believe there’s very good mutual respect on the field,” Clarke said. “I have the utmost respect for the England cricket team, you don’t get to be the number one team in the world which they did if you don’t play very good cricket.

“Through my career there’s always been banter on the cricket field and I cop as much as I give, that’s for sure.

“I’m not going to go into what was said out on the field, I think it’s part and parcel of the game and I cop my fair share.

“I think I’ve heard a lot worse said on the cricket field than any of the Australian players or the England players have said during this Test match.

“I certainly understand and respect that there’s a line and that both teams shouldn’t overstep that line, and I hope that hasn’t been the case in this Test match.

“But I think the rivalry and the banter on the field is give and take both ways. It’s not one team dictating the other.

“I’m sure that there are plenty of things that get said on the field that aren’t overheard on stump mike, and they need to stay on the field.

“I can only talk from the Australian team (perspective) but there’s not one player in the English team that anyone has a personal vendetta against or that anybody disrespects as a cricketer.

“It’s about trying to do whatever you can to help your team have success, pushing the line but not overstepping it and trying to play your best cricket.

“For someone like Davey Warner, or Mitch (Johnson) or ‘Watto’ (Shane Watson), they really love that competitive battle.

“They love the opposition talking to them or having a crack back at the opposition; that is what drives them.

“And I think Jimmy Anderson’s made it very clear that he likes that verbal battle as well.”

Cook also claimed the fact that the Ashes rivals had played back-to-back series against one another which will stretch to 10 consecutive Tests by summer’s end meant the aggravation that normally arises during the course of a series had been heightened.

“When you play each other for quite a few games in a row the niggles can increase,” he said. “It’s very competitive cricket.”

And Clarke took a similar view, saying: “I think it’s because both teams want to win so badly.”