Australian team has a handful of idiots: John Reid

By Rahul Bajaj
for Cricketain.com

Published: March 9, 2010

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Wellington: Former Kiwi skipper John Reid believes that some members of the current Australian team are “idiots” who need to be dealt with strictly.

Reid, also a former ICC match referee, was clearly hinting at Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson, who head-butted Scott Styris in a show of aggression during the first one-dayer in Napier.

“Generally the Australian team looks good, but there are a handful of idiots who need to be reined in,” Reid was quoted as saying in The Age. “Do your work with the bat and the ball, not your mouth.”

While some praised Johnson for sparking life into the series, Reid said the aggression displayed by the pacer was “not required”. Australia is playing a five-match ODI series with the Black Caps. The Series is leveled at 1-1.

Reid said players need to understand the importance of playing the game in good spirit. “Like it or not, these guys are role models for youngsters. Johnson was the aggressor, but he’s mad head-butting someone with a helmet on,” said Reid.

Reid claimed that in his time refereeing, Australian players were “always the worst at sledging”. “I dealt with barging by Glenn McGrath, bowlers standing in the way of a runner – like Johnson did to Styris – and Curtly Ambrose knocking the stumps out of the ground,” he said.

ICC match referee Ranjan Madugalle slapped Johnson and Styris with fines rather than suspensions for their showdown in the series opener at Napier but Reid felt the punishment could have been stricter. “I think he (Madugalle) did a reasonable job but, if anything, he could have come down a bit tougher,” Reid said.

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