Warne says Proteas lack imagination

Shane Warne has pointed out a couple of new bunnies in South Africa's line-up © Getty Images

Shane Warne has decided South Africa's unimaginative captaincy and their lack of bowling variety are their main weaknesses in the lead-up to Monday's second Test in Melbourne. Warne, who became the world record holder for wickets in a year at Perth, also expected Justin Kemp would be his "new Daryll Cullinan" despite his match-saving half-century in Perth.

Warne said the Proteas batting and bowling discipline was a strength but believed their bowling similarities and the attitude of Graeme Smith assisted Australia's batting. "It was pretty hard work for bowlers but there is not a lot of imagination with their captaincy," Warne said in The Courier-Mail. "It's been a general trait of all [South Africa] captains over the years, especially Smith. That's the way they play. They set normal fields and once the ball gets older they have a ring field and just bowl line and length."

South Africa clawed a draw at the WACA through Jacques Rudolph's century and Kemp's 55 in the second innings, but Warne was not convinced by Kemp's performance and tipped him as his bunny. "Just the way he played ... he top edged one that landed safe early on, there were a couple of close lbws and he played and missed once or twice an over," Warne told the paper. "You need a bit of luck on day five and he had that and hopefully it will be my turn to get the rub of the green and the 50-50 this Test."

Warne said Cullinan, who was his most famous target throughout the 1990s, "could have a disguise on". "From what I saw in Perth Ashwell Prince could also be a candidate to become a Daryll," Warne said. "It's either Prince or Kemp. They are both candidates but I am still leaning towards Kemp."