Shane Warne has taken another shot at his former teammate Ricky Ponting – saying he and his Big Bash commentary team have a much easier job than their Channel Nine counterparts.
The cricketing legends have had a fractured relationship since Ponting was handed the captaincy of the Australian cricket team following Steve Waugh’s retirement, a role Warne coveted.
The leg spinner took to Twitter on Wednesday night posting an unprompted opinion of the popular Big Bash League and compared it to his position commentating test cricket.
‘You could not say a word on BBL & it would still be good!’ he tweeted.
Shane Warne has taken another shot at his former teammate Ricky Ponting – saying he and his Big Bash commentary team have a much easier job than their Channel Nine counterparts
The legends have had a fractured relationship since Ponting was handed the captaincy of the Australian cricket team following Steve Waugh’s retirement, a role Warne coveted
The leg spinner took to Twitter on Wednesday night posting an unprompted opinion of the popular Big Bash League and compared it to his position commentating test cricket
Warne has been a member of the Nine commentary team intermittently since his retirement in 2007, while Ponting joined Ten in 2013.
Channel Nine’s team, led by Mark Nicholas, Mark Taylor and Michael Slater, has been subject to heavy criticism from pundits and fans for their tendency to talk about themselves and their own careers ahead of the action.
The Big Bash group however have been praised for their refreshing coverage of the blossoming tournament, and particularly their integration of players still featuring in the competition.
Warne has been a member of the Nine commentary team intermittently since his retirement in 2007, while Ponting joined Ten in 2013
Channel Nine’s team, led by Mark Nicholas, Mark Taylor and Michael Slater, has been subject to heavy criticism from pundits and fans for their tendency to talk about themselves and their own careers ahead of the action
Warne is less convinced, and provided a caveat to the success of their rival saying their responsibilities are incomparable.
‘The bottom line with all the commentary is to enhance the pictures & take the viewer out into the middle plus be informative,’ he said.
‘Test Cricket for 9 hours a day a lot harder than 3 hours of Big Bash.’
The tweet sparked widespread debate on social media, with many disagreeing with Warne and identifying his Channel Nine team as the real problem.
‘BBL guys are far more in tune with modern game & players & don’t regurgitate their own glory every day. Most true fans listen to radio during tests & have done for years. Lifetime ch9 contracts need 2 be ripped up or risk channel’s rich history,’ one person replied.
‘Channel 9 have completely lost their standards, no longer the benchmark. If the 9 commentators did the big bash it would be far less entertaining,’ another said.
The leg spinner took to Twitter on Wednesday night posting an unprompted opinion of the popular Big Bash League and compared it to his position commentating test cricket