Dirk Nannes slams Australian team for its lack of sportsmanship

Dirk Nannes slams Australian team for its lack of sportsmanship: Former Netherland & Australian cricketer and Grandstand commentator Dirk Nannes has slammed Australia’s “horrendous sportsmanship” after failing to shake hands with Ross Taylor after the Black Caps batsman was dismissed for 290, ending New Zealand’s innings on day four at the WACA.

Ross Taylor batted for about a day and a half for his record-breaking and match saving innings, Nannes said Australia’s lack of appreciation for the superb show at its conclusion was “not a good look”.

“Probably the biggest disappointment of that session is that after the innings, he’s made 290, not one person from the Australian camp went and shook his hand,” he said on Grandstand’s coverage of day four at the WACA. “In the spirit of the way this game has been played, and the game before, with the exception of that one incident with Mitchell Starc, I can’t help but be disappointed that nobody went out to him and shook his hand.

“It’s not that hard is it?

“You don’t have a guy bat for a day and a half out there and just not even acknowledge it, that’s horrendous sportsmanship.” he added.

Fellow commentator Gerard Whateley countered by saying the incident was more of a “lapse of concentration” rather than a deliberate snub.

But Nannes was not impressed with the justification.  “The Australian team is pretty good at lapsing. It’s not hard to just do the simple things,” he countered. “When you’ve got a kid, you teach them to say thank you when they go for a sleepover, you teach them to say thank you for the meal. “It’s not hard, and yes you say it’s a lapse, but we see it more and more often and it’s not a good look.”