Booing David Warner, Steve Smith can backfire for England, believes James Anderson
James Anderson has warned English supporters that if they boo David Warner and Steve Smith during Ashes it may backfire for the hosts. The wily bowler also shed light on how the growing number of T20 leagues around the world have bettered the equation between players from different countries.
When Warner and Smith returned to international duty after completing one-year ban for their involvement in a ball-tampering scandal in a Test match in South Africa, during the World Cup warm-up match against England, there were scattered boos for the duo and a spectator was heard shouting "Get off Warner you cheat".
While Virat Kohli set up an example by asking the Indian fans not to boo the duo, English fans may not buy to the theory and go at the top of their lungs to disintegrate them. Anderson, however, has warned that booing them will only push the duo to improve their performance levels.
"Having played against them so many times before and knowing how they respond to that kind of thing, whether it's sledging on the field or booing from the crowd, they are going to up their performance," Anderson told Talksport Radio.
"I understand people won't like what they have done but it's in the past. I would rather it's not talked about, although I've got a feeling that it's going to be talked about."
While Australia and England have always shared an acrimonious on-field relationship, they have never shared any camaraderie off the field as well. Anderson though believes that international players have shared better on-field relationships in recent years, partly due to the increasing amount of global Twenty20 action.
"With the amount of T20 cricket played around the world and with the Big Bash and the IPL (Indian Premier League), players get to know a lot more about one another outside of the cricket," he added.
"You have a different kind of relationship then when you go onto the field and play against them."