Smith’s immature? No, you’re immature!

Cricket365
November 5, 2015

Australia opening batsman David Warner has called New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum 'immature' after the Kiwi wrote earlier this year that Steve Smith made the wrong call in a run out incident with Ben Stokes.

McCullum, writing in a newspaper column, opined that Smith should have withdrawn an appeal against Stokes in the ODI at Lord's, when Stokes was given out for obstructing the ball's path to the stumps.

McCullum wrote that Smith, new to the captaincy, had made an 'immature' decision, but Warner says McCullum was the childish one for even commenting on it, as it had nothing to do with him or his team.

Warner said on the CA website: "In my opinion it was something that was quite poor and immature on his behalf, to actually make the comment about Steve.

"For one, as an international cricketer I don't see the need or the right for a current cricket captain to write columns on another series.

"After I read the first one I didn't really pay attention to what he was saying. His opinion is going to be heard worldwide but you can't be talking about the players the way he did.

"At the end of the day he's the captain and you've got to respect Brendon, he's done a great job with the Kiwis and he's trying to make them the world's politest team, and well done to him."

For his part, Smith was also unimpressed that McCullum commented on the matter, saying to News Corp: "Yeah I was a little bit disappointed. I didn't really think it was any of his business."

Smith added that he had no regrets about the decision: "I actually wouldn't change a thing.

"I think what happened, Starcy threw the ball and Stokes willingly put his hand out when the ball was going to hit the stumps, so for me it was just out.

"If I faced the same situation again you'd get the same result.

"It was a nice little experience. Obviously the crowds can be quite vocal over in England, at Lord’s that day they were getting into you.

"That doesn't happen too often but I think it was nice to look back and be able to say if that happened again I'd do the same thing. No regrets."