Warne blasts CA officials, brands them 'muppets'

Legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne has slammed Cricket Australia (CA) for hiring ‘muppets’ from other sports such as high-performance chief Pat Howard instead of people with cricketing backgrounds to help captain Michael Clarke.

Warne claimed the CA should look further than the rugby community and get current cricket people involved in the game at administrative level, News.com.au reports.

As CA’s high-performance chief, Howard has overseen the selection panel’s controversial strategy of rotating players in and out of the side this summer in an attempt to avoid injuries, particularly in terms of managing fast bowlers’ workloads, the paper added.

Warne, who is a close mate of Clarke, said on Twitter on Monday that it was ludicrous to deprive the Australian sporting public of seeing the star batsman in action during some of the One-day games against Sri Lanka earlier this month. He also said the CA really need to look at the people who are making decisions on all facets of cricket in Australia, as they are seriously becoming a joke.

"Absolute rubbish re selections, rotations, resting & farcical decisions on matches, joke.. Dudding (cheating) the public & to(o) many excuses.. Wake up CA.

"Can CA please put current cricket people in charge to run the game, select teams, not ex rugby or any other sports people plse, seriously.

"We have the best batsmen/captain in the world in @MClarke23 (Michael Clarke) - He needs current cricket people to help him out not muppets," he wrote.

The 43-year-old reiterated his stand on Tuesday morning but denied calling anyone 'Muppets' specifically and said he wants the best for Australian cricket.

"Morning all, read my tweets please & report correctly & responsibly, I never called anyone specific a muppett, don't assume, u may be wrong," Warne tweeted.

"Australian cricket is in disarray & in my opinion people are hoping Australian cricket will turn around Lack of a plan & a cricket strategy.

"As I said last night we need cricket people running the team & who understand cricket & what's required at the top level, not muppets!

"I am speaking as a frustrated Australian cricket team supporter & want what's best for Australian cricket," wrote Warne, who has claimed 708 Test wickets in his career.

Warne, who was fined a total of US $9500 and suspended for one match during the just-cooncluded BBL season for various breaches of discipline, made the comments during Australia's two-run defeat via Duckworth-Lewis to Sri Lanka at the MCG in the second Twenty20 on Monday.

The Aussie great also promised to write "an in depth article on the state of Australian cricket" within the next 24 hours.

Former players, including Brett Lee and Ian Chappell, have criticised Cricket Australia's rotation policy, where players have been rotated in an attempt to avoid injuries, especially fast bowlers.

Australia's selectors had rested captain Michael Clarke, Matthew Wade, and David Warner for the first two matches of the ODI series after sweeping the Tests 3-0 against Sri Lanka.