Mitchell Starc, the Australia pacer, responded to Shane Warne’s criticism of his bowling in the first Test against India in Adelaide, saying, “If I keep listening to Warnie, I may as well retire”.

Warne, the former Australia spinner, said Starc’s effort with the second new ball in Adelaide was “atrocious” and “the worst I’ve seen him bowl”.

“I still don’t know what he said,” Starc told Fox Sports when asked about Warne’s comments.

[caption id=”attachment_84891″ align=”alignnone” width=”800″] “If I keep listening to Warnie, I may as well retire”[/caption]

“I’ve been told about it but, if I keep listening to Warnie, I may as well retire. I’ll just keep going about my stuff, as I have done over the week.”

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Tim Paine, the Australia red-ball skipper, backed Starc after the match, calling the criticism the pacer came in for “pretty unfair”.

“I think the criticism he’s come under this week has been pretty unfair, to be honest,” said Paine.

[caption id=”attachment_92184″ align=”alignnone” width=”800″] ‘The criticism he’s come under this week has been pretty unfair’ – Paine[/caption]

“He swung the ball in Adelaide, which he didn’t do in the UAE.

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“One thing I know about Starcy is when he cops a bit of criticism, normally he takes it pretty personally and that sometimes gets the best out of him.”

Starc came into his own in the second Test in Perth, claiming two top-order wickets against India in the first innings and bowling with fearsome pace the next.