Shane Warne has doubled down on his controversial remarks about fellow cricketer Steve Waugh, calling him the 'most selfish cricketer' he has ever played with. The 46-year-old former spin bowler made the comments during his stint on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, and after his surprise eviction, he confirmed he still stands by them.
Speaking on Rove & Sam's show on Thursday, Warne said: 'I have absolutely total respect for him as a cricketer. I think he did wonderful things for Australia. But what I said in the jungle, I still stand by - I think he is the most selfish cricketer I have ever played with. I don't like selfishness whatsoever, he just wasn't my cup of tea.'
Warne elaborated on his criticism, recalling an incident during a Test match in the West Indies where he felt he was made a scapegoat. He said: 'To not speak up to your Vice Captain, I thought I would never do that as a captain – I stand by my statement.'
When asked if he would also criticise Don Bradman, Warne reacted sharply, calling it 'disrespectful' and suggesting that comparing Waugh to Bradman would warrant being 'publicly stoned'. Despite the controversy, Warne said he has no regrets about appearing on the show and hopes people's perception of him has changed. 'I just wanted to be myself,' he added. 'I am who I am, I have never pretended to be anyone who I am not.'
Warne admitted he was disappointed not to make the final three but said he enjoyed the experience. He now looks ahead to the Twenty20 World Cup in India and England.
