Warne offers Hauritz help

If Nathan Hauritz is chasing someone to help re-tune his bowling he need look no further than Shane Warne, the man who drew him into this week's tactics controversy. Warne has offered his services to boost Hauritz ahead of the Ashes after his troubles during the India series.

Hauritz managed six wickets at 65 in the two games and on the final day of the second Test, Warne tweeted his disbelief at the fields Ricky Ponting had for the offspinner. Ponting has since said Hauritz had asked for the settings and the three men have spoken about the differences of opinion.

Warne said he would work with Hauritz providing Australia's team management agreed. "That's up to Ricky Ponting and Tim Nielsen but if they are happy for me to work with Haury before the Ashes, then I'm more than happy to," Warne said in the Courier-Mail. "I will make myself available and fit it into my schedule.

"Murali, Daniel Vettori and myself and a lot of other spinners have been smashed in India at times. That is no disgrace at all. How Haury bounces back in Australia this summer is the key. In my opinion Steve Smith is still a long way short of being Australia's No.1 Test spinner."

Australia are now fifth in the world and Warne said the players needed to attack during the game's big moments. "Why aren't we converting strong positions into victories?" Warne asked. "We have to learn how to win again.

"The best way to learn to win is have a mindset where you have to attack. You have to be prepared to lose a Test to win a Test. You always have to think, 'how am I going to get this batsman out' - not just dry things up."

Warne said the team had been able to get into good positions "but just hasn't been able to close the deal". "Hopefully that changes this summer," he said.

Shane Watson said Australia would have no excuses at home. "We are trying not to make the same mistakes over again and a year down the track we've got a bit more experience and unfortunately learnt from our mistakes, hopefully we can bring it all together in the Ashes," he said. "It is in our home conditions so we have got no excuses once we get home, and we are going to have to make the most of lessons we have learned the hard way over the last year."