Cricket World Cup 2019: Aussies refusing to get drawn into English tabloid banter over Warner, Smith

The fabled British Press may be doing everything they can to put the Aussies off their game at the World Cup but Aaron Finch says his side is blissfully unaware of their rhetoric.

The tabloids are keeping the pressure on Steve Smith and David Warner.

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Australia has implemented a newspaper ban so players aren’t exposed to the English tabloids constantly branding Steve Smith and David Warner “cheats”.

Captain Aaron Finch said he has not read a single newspaper in his seven weeks in the United Kingdom with team management settling on the rule before they jetted out for the World Cup defence.

“I haven’t seen anything written. I’ve watched TV, a bit of SKY News, and you do see some stuff,” Finch said.

The tabloids are keeping the pressure on Steve Smith and David Warner.

“But in terms of papers, we don’t have them around our team room (and) we don’t have them around the dressing room.

“We have made a conscious effort of that over the tournament. We knew that there would be some stuff written and there would be some opinions had when we first landed in the country.

“So we just wanted to take as much white noise as we could away from our focus.”

Finch admitted the Aussies were “quite aggressive” in the 2015 World Cup, but said this edition was being played in good spirits by all nations in the wake of the sandpaper saga.

“It has been great spirit out on the field, regardless of results,” he said.

“I know the last one was quite an aggressive World Cup on the field, mainly from us. We were quite aggressive in our approach and how we went about things.

Aaron Finch says the Aussies aren’t reading the tabloids.

“This one has been absolutely brilliant.”

Finch is often seen in Melbourne cafes around the Ascot Vale area soaking up the sports pages, including reading the Herald Sun after his Melbourne Renegades advanced to this year’s Big Bash League final.

But the tabloid ban in the UK has spared the Aussies from almost daily Smith and Warner taunting.

Even their centuries have been ridiculed with the headline: “Sand and deliver” accompanying a photo of Warner celebrating a match-winning ton.

The Daily Mail posted a large picture of the pair on the field in a warm-up match last month with the headline: “What’s in your pocket, mate?”

The match report inside read: “Sandpaper cheats Smith and Warner have a smooth start to World Cup summer”.

After Eoin Morgan encouraged English fans to boo them at Lord’s earlier this week, The Mirror splashed with: “It could get rough: Morgan warns sandpaper shame pair”.

The Daily Mail used: “Keep on booing!” with the subhead “Morgan is happy for England fans to jeer cheating Aussie duo”.

But the tabloids have turned on their own in recent days, picking apart every aspect of England’s misfiring campaign.