Warne wants more heads to roll after SA tour shambles

Sydney – Spin king Shane Warne has called for more heads to
roll over Australia’s embarrassing tour of South Africa, saying the game’s top
brass must also be held accountable. 

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The drama-filled four-Test tour was won by the Proteas 3-1
with a crushing 492-run win in the final match in Johannesburg on Tuesday,
handing them their first series victory at home against Australia since
1969/70. 

A ball-tampering scandal during the third Test in Cape Town
claimed the scalps of former captain Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron
Bancroft, who have all been suspended for up to a year, while coach Darren
Lehmann quit in the aftermath. 

Warne said the bloodletting should not stop there. 

“Australia have a lot of questions to answer and I
believe heads must roll on and off the field,” he wrote on Instagram,
having been a broadcast commentator for the last two Tests. 

“Australia need new people who are passionate about the
game in charge, but understand the game. 

“Australia can be a force again, but need the right
people involved. There is a huge opportunity now for players and people to be
leaders. All positions are in jeopardy and need to be looked at, heads must
roll.” 

Warne put the heat on Cricket Australia chief executive
James Sutherland and team manager of performance Pat Howard while analysing the
series defeat, Fox Sports reported. 

“Every single position on the field, off the field,
starting from James Sutherland at the top, Pat Howard who is in charge of
cricket excellence, all these people,” Warne was quoted as saying. 

“The coaches. Batting coaches – when are we going to
produce a good batsman? 

“All these people need to be (held accountable), saying
‘right – are they good enough for that position? Who else have we got to take
their position?'” 

The Australian Cricketers’ Association on Tuesday said the
culture of Australian cricket must be addressed by an independent inquiry
examining the game from top to bottom, reporting to both the players’ union and
Cricket Australia. 

“Organisational culture comes from its leadership and
it comes from the top. It cannot be grafted onto the bottom,” president
Greg Dyer said, as pressure grows for the role of cricket’s top executives to
also come under the spotlight. 

“Let us identify all the causes of the tipping point
that occurred in Cape Town.”