BRISBANE, Australia, Nov 18, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Australia captain Tim Paine
has blasted England all-rounder Ben Stokes for taking a “cheap shot” at David
Warner, claiming he was using the controversial opening batsman to spike
sales of his new book.
In his book, which is being serialised in a British newspaper, he claims
Warner’s sledging motivated Stokes during his match-winning heroics in the
third Ashes Test this year.
Stokes’s incredible unbeaten 135 at Headingley steered England to a record
run chase and thrilling one-wicket win to square the five-match series at 1-
1.
“He just wouldn’t shut up for most of my time out there,” Stokes said of
Warner, who insists he has reformed and is no longer the brash character who
was banned for a year over a ball-tampering scandal.
“I could accept it from just about any other opponent. Truly. Not from him,
though,” Stokes added.
“The changed man he was adamant he’d become, the one that hardly said boo
to a goose and even went as far as claiming he had been re-nicknamed ‘Humble’
by his Australia team-mates, had disappeared.”
Paine disputed the characterisation and was adamant Warner did nothing
wrong.
Asked if it was a cheap shot by Stokes, Paine replied: “Oh absolutely.
“I was obviously standing next to David the whole time (at first slip) and
you are allowed to talk on the cricket field,” he told reporters on Sunday in
Brisbane ahead of a Test series against Pakistan.
“But by no means was he abusing him or sledging him.
“It just seems to be a common trend in England that they like to use
Davey’s name to spike book sales.”