London — Shane Warne branded reaction to the Australian ball-tampering scandal a "tornado of hysteria" on Wednesday and said the punishments meted out do not fit the crime. "We are all so hurt and angry and maybe we weren’t so sure how to react," Warne wrote on Facebook. "We’d just never seen it before. "But the jump to hysteria is something that has elevated the offence beyond what they actually did, and maybe we’re at a point where the punishment just might not fit the crime." The former leg-spinner said Australia’s enemies had taken the opportunity to put the boot in. "There are those countries that don’t like Australia, don’t like individuals in the team, and there has been a build-up of hate, which has exploded and created this tornado of hysteria." He said ball-tampering was not new and the likes of SA’s Faf du Plessis had been found guilty of the offence. "The list of players who have been charged with ball-tampering … contains some of the biggest names." AFP
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