MELBOURNE: England’s Kevin Pietersen Wednesday said Australia’s current team could not out-sledge Test greats Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, dismissing a sharp rise in verbal clashes during the Ashes series.
Pietersen said he had faced some “pretty big verbal contests” during England’s last tour of Australia, when the legendary bowlers were still playing, but had seen nothing unusual in this year’s Tests. Both teams have acknowledged raised temperatures during the home team’s series-levelling win in Perth, with England’s James Anderson and Matthew Prior in the thick of it along with Australia’s Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle. “There’s not really any big chirpers or big sledgers, it’s just England versus Australia.
It’s an Ashes series,” said the South African-born batsman. “Blokes get a bit of red mist occasionally. You’re allowed to do that on both teams. You’re playing for a little urn. It’s historic. It’s huge. But there’s nothing that’s been overboard.” Australia had not won a Test since July until they wrapped up the big 267-run win on Sunday. The series is poised 1-1 going into Sunday’s penultimate Test. Australia were ordered to tone down their sledging after the notorious 2008 Sydney Test against India, when alleged racial remarks prompted an angry public backlash. But Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive Paul Marsh said the softer approach had hindered the side.
“I think there’s no doubt the team’s performance has been affected,” Marsh told the Sydney Morning Herald. “Hard aggressive cricket is in the Australian team’s DNA and unfortunately the players started second-guessing their natural instincts in the heat of battle,” he said.
