CA boss slams team role in Warner fiasco

Sutherland feels players should have acted more responsibly.

SYDNEY: Cricket Australia (CA) chief James Sutherland slammed the role of the Australia team in the damaging David Warner punch-up incident in England and demanded they crack down on bad behaviour.

Warner was fined Aus$11,500 and suspended until the start of the Ashes series next month for punching England batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar during the ongoing Champions Trophy.

The 26-year-old told a London press conference he had apologised to Root and admitted he let down his teammates, family and Australian cricket fans.

Sutherland expressed his disappointment at the incident.

“I’m not in any way comfortable with the incident that happened in Birmingham on Saturday night,” said Sutherland. “There is no place for violence anywhere. I’m extremely disappointed and I have told him that.”

Sutherland said he was also angry at the team’s part in the episode. Several other players were also reportedly in the bar and critics have raised concerns about the culture inside the Australia squad.

“I’m also disappointed in the team. There were certain things that led to this situation that happened at 2.30am. There’s not a lot of good that happens at 2.30 in the morning in a pub or nightclub.

“And I believe that the team as a whole and the people who were around him at the time also need to take responsibility for what happened.”

Sutherland said it reflected poorly on the values and behaviour of the team.

“I’d like to assure you that I, the CA and the management on the ground in England will be doing everything possible to make sure that we continue building a successful team that fans can be proud of.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2013.