Warner walks the line as Ashes start at last

CARDIFF: After what seems an even longer than usual ‘phoney war’, England and Australia will get down to the actual business of contesting the Ashes when the first Test in Cardiff starts on Wednesday (today).
Australia may have won 5-0 on home soil when they last faced England in a Test series in 2013/14 but it is 14 years since they last tasted Ashes glory in Britain.
Much of the build-up has focused on the vexed issue of ‘sledging’ or verbal abuse of opponents, which is something the International Cricket Council (ICC) are determined to eradicate from the sport.
That Ranjan Madugalle, the ICC’s chief match referee, will be overseeing proceedings in Cardiff, suggests no let-up in the crackdown from the global governing body in what remains cricket’s showpiece series.
Hard-hitting Australia opener David Warner, fined twice by the ICC in the last 18 months, is walking an especially fine line.
“I’m on my last warning (before possible suspension) from the ICC,” Warner said last week. “These rules are being clamped down on now.
“If you walk towards a player, the umpires are going to fine you.” But England director of cricket Andrew Strauss, a former Ashes-winning captain, stressed there was more to being competitive than ‘mouthing off’ at the opposition.