CAPE TOWN, March 14: South Africa’s cricketers won’t be distracted by Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne, according to coach Mickey Arthur. “We don’t really want to mention his name any more,” said Arthur of Warne’s latest comments about South African captain Graeme Smith.

Warne said after his arrival in South Africa for a three-match Test series which starts at Newlands on Thursday that Smith “made a fool of himself” on South Africa’s recent tour of Australia when he suggested Warne was undermining Australian captain Ricky Ponting because of frustration at not having been given the job himself.

Speaking before South Africa’s astonishing one-day series win in Johannesburg, when the world record total was beaten twice in a day, Warne said South Africa’s performance in Australia had been the worst by a South African side in that country.

“All Graeme Smith did was say some ridiculous stuff,” Warne said.

Arthur said on Tuesday: “He’s come out and made statements again against Graeme.

That’s probably a go back at what happened in Australia. That’s fine.

He arrived here and probably wanted to be noticed. We’re finished talking about Shane Warne.

We’ve got Test matches to win and he’s not going to bother us.”—AFP