Australia’s legendary spin legend Shane Warne reckons that the rivals of the Australian team have got an unfair advantage of kicking out the team when it is down due to the ball-tampering. Warne, advisor to Indian Premier League (IPL) side the Rajasthan Royals (RR), said the Sandgate scandal should be used as an opportunity for other cricket teams to reflect on their own conduct.

During a media interaction, Warne said, “It is very disappointing but I feel that this has given an opportunity to others to slam [the] boot into Australians without any reason.”

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The legendary spinner also said that he would not defend the conduct of cricketers Steve Smith and David Warner, who have been sacked from their captaincy duties on the Australian team, and that he was “embarrassed” as any other Australian over the affair. He said, “[But] anyone who has been beaten by Australia, who don’t like the way the Australians play the game or they don’t like any individual in any country have taken the opportunity to take boots into the Australians.”

He further added, “I think it is a great opportunity for every single country look into its own backyards and think [about] the way they want to play cricket.”

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Both Smith and Warner have been suspended for a period of one year by the Cricket Australia (CA) and even from the upcoming season of IPL, keeping them out of contention for the Indian tournament, which starts this weekend.

Smith was expected to lead Royals, who Warne led to the IPL title in 2008 during the competition’s inaugural season. Warner was to have been captain at Sunrisers Hyderabad and led them to the title in 2016.