Former fast bowler Merv Hughes has defended the Australian cricket team after the findings from yesterday’s cultural review found them to be “arrogant”.
The scathing independent review found the Australian players to be living in a "gilded bubble” following the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa that saw Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft hit with lengthy bans.
CRICKET AUSTRALIA “ARROGANT” AND “CONTROLLING” FOLLOWING CULTURAL REVIEW
“I’m a little bit sceptical about the report,” Hughes told SEN Breakfast.
“I know a lot of time and effort has gone into it and basically what you see on the surface is a lot different to what you get behind the scenes.
“I’m still privileged where I get the opportunity to get behind the scenes and arrogant is one word I wouldn’t associate with the Australian players.
“You sit there and scratch your head a bit and say: 'has it been worthwhile?' A lot of people are going to read this and make of it what they want.
“I sit there and scratch my head, and as I said, arrogance is one word I don’t associate with the Australian cricket team.”
Hughes doesn't have an issue with the way the Australians play their cricket, saying they play hard but in a fair manner.
“There’s a fine line between confident in your own ability and arrogance and once you become arrogant you don’t respect the opposition and you don’t respect the game,” Hughes added.
“If you’ve got the opportunity to get within the Australian cricket team that’s not the case, the case is they respect the game, they respect the opposition, they play hard and they play to win.
“Some people think that’s arrogant – I don’t.”
Listen to Merv Hughes' chat on SEN Breakfast with Garry Lyon and Tim Watson in the player below