Steve Smith and David Warner in sights of English press pack

Australian skipper Aaron Finch has hailed the contribution returning stars Steve Smith and David Warner have made to the squad as they prepare for the World Cup.

Australian stars Steve Smith (left) and David Warner are in the sights of the English tabloids. Picture: Getty Images

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The England tabloid attack on Steve Smith and David Warner has begun.

The Daily Mail posted a large picture of the pair on the field this week to promote its match report with the headline: “What’s in Your Pocket, Mate?”.

A pointer to a match report inside noting that “sandpaper cheats Smith and Warner have a smooth start to World Cup Summer”.

Promoting his range of wines, Ian Botham claims the Barmy Army has “eight or nine” songs already penned about the incident, although there is no sign of that on their website and the group can’t gain access to Lord’s for the match between England and Australia in June.

The only lyrics on the group’s website are a grubby, personal attack on Mitchell Johnson’s family from an Ashes series in 2009.

It took 23 minutes before the press of the world turned their attention to Smith and Warner during an opportunity with all the World Cup captains in London late this week.

Sitting beside his brightly clad peers, Aaron Finch claimed no awareness of Warner asking for special security for he or his wife Candice who is coming to England this month with their children.

Australian stars Steve Smith (left) and David Warner are in the sights of the English tabloids. Picture: Getty Images

The former professional athlete will give birth to their third child in the UK as the World Cup gets underway. It is unlikely she will expose herself to the sorts of attacks she endured from crowds and officials in South Africa.

Finch says the Australians know they will cop it from local crowds, but that Warner and Smith are both playing good cricket and in a good place.

“Since Warner and Smith have come back into the set-up they have been fantastic and contributed so much,” he said. “The morale has been unbelievable.

“Once it gets underway, particularly against England, and further on for the Ashes, the crowd will play a part but that is expected everywhere in the world.

“We have plans in place for that, and their squad input and output in terms of the runs they have been making has been fantastic.”

David Warner’s wife Candice will give birth to their third child during the World Cup.

The questioning of Australian cricket’s character has not been contained to the tabloids or to the duo alone.

The Times has picked up on a thread questioning the extent of cheating in the side and expressing disbelief it was contained to a solitary act.

“The most damning thing damaging not just to Cricket Australia, but to the wider game _ is that we just don’t know (if Cape Town was the only instance),” columnist Matthew Syed wrote. “None of the governing bodies have bothered to find out. The game is carrying on regardless, with cricketers on that infamous tour playing along merrily while Warner, Smith Bancroft carry the can. Perhaps that is the lesson Australian players - and young players around the world looking on will take from this entire affair.

“It is not a crime to cheat. The only crime is to get caught.”

There’s no relief from the tawdriness on the television either with Foster’s running an advertising campaign featuring an Australian character incidentally using sandpaper on a cricket ball.

The Australians have an Ashes series that follows the World Cup and are trapped in England until mid-September. They play a practice match against England at the Ageas Bowl on Saturday.