Australia captain Tim Paine insists it is time for his side to change the way they play the game as they start to reform following the ball-tampering saga in South Africa.
Former captain Steve Smith and ex-vice captain Warner were suspended for 12 months and batsman Cameron Bancroft received a nine-month ban for their roles in using sandpaper on the ball during the third Test against South Africa. The trio were all sent home.
And coach Darren Lehmann will also step down after the 3-1 series defeat to the Proteas that was completed on Tuesday morning.
Vernon Philander bulldozed through their batting line-up on the final morning with figures of six for 21 as South Africa took less than 90 minutes to win by 492 runs on the final day.
“We’ve potentially had our head in the sand a little bit over the last 12 months (thinking) if we continue to win we can kind of act and behave how we like and the Australian public will be OK with that,” Paine said in quotes reported on Cricket Australia’s official website.
“What we’ve probably found out in the past month or so is that the Australian public and our fans don’t necessarily like the way we go about it.
“It’s pretty simple. We have to listen.
“We have to take it on board and we have to improve our behaviour in the way we play the game.
“I know the guys are certainly taking that on board and it’s something that we’re excited, again, to go forward and be able to do.
“I think it was probably evident in this match that we’d changed somewhat. That will continue to happen.
“We’ve obviously got a new coach coming in at some stage who would have huge say on how that is.
“But from my point of view, we’ve now got a fine line between being really respectful of opposition and the game and also being at a level that is really competitive as you should be in Test match cricket.
“It’s going to be a different style to what a lot of the guys have been used to, but I think we’ll find it pretty quickly.
“Once the new coach comes in and lays down the way he wants us to play as well, has his say on it, I think we’ll go for it straight away.”
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis believes it is a step in the right direction for Australia to reconsider how they carry themselves on the field.
“Obvious this Test match had a different feel to it, there was not as (much) competitiveness and other stuff as the other Test matches before it,” Du Plessis said.
“Their culture is something they’ve spoken about that they would like to change, and that’s good that they believe. If they’ve said it, it means it needs to change.
“Time will tell what sort of effect that will have on their dressing room.”
