By IANS,
Jaipur : Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne criticized his Kolkata Knight Riders counterpart Sourav Ganguly for wasting time and said he complain against the southpaw for refusing to accept the fielder’s word on a “clean catch” during their Indian Premier League (IPL) match here Thursday.
“I was disappointed at the start. While batting we waited for five minutes under the hot sun and the Knight Riders were not anywhere to be seen,” Warne told reporters in the post-match press conference after the Royals beat the Knight Riders by 45 runs.
Asked if he would lodge a formal complaint, Warne said: “It is on the way.
“I was really disappointed, Sourav was really running the time,” he said.
“We just waited for Sourav to come out. When we were out on the field, we all stood there waiting. I don’t know what he was doing. He wanted extra time,” he added.
Warne said Ganguly’s time wasting tactic stretched the match from the stipulated one hour and 20 minutes per side.
He also lashed out at Ganguly for doubting South Africa skipper Greame Smith’s integrity. The Knight Riders skipper asked for a third umpire referral on his catch, which Smith had taken.
“When in Bangalore we signed the Spirit of Cricket pledge we meant to play the tournament in the right spirit. When an international captain like Graeme Smith says he caught him and it was a clean catch, then there is no point doubting his integrity,” said Warne.
“(Umpire) Rudy Koertzen at square leg said it was a clean catch… players are not allowed to ask the umpire but Sourav asked the umpire to go to the third umpire. This is not allowed and it was a clean catch,” he added.