“Toughen up and play with the team that gave you the opportunity first” – Brad Hogg comes out in support of Shane Warne

Brad Hogg came out in support of his former teammate Shane Warne, agreeing that the players should prioritize international cricket. The spinner feels players need to toughen up and be respectful to the national side that gave them an opportunity to be recognized in the first place.

Several Australian cricketers are pulling out of the squad traveling to the West Indies and Bangladesh. The decision has rightly angered many former cricketers, who have criticized the move. Players like Shane Warne, Mark Waugh and Michael Vaughan recently talked about how the national cricket boards need to be stricter with players that prioritize franchise cricket.

Brad Hogg agreed with Shane Warne’s comments, giving his two cents on the debate on his YouTube channel.

“They can’t come out and complain that they are not spending enough time with their families or other things that they want to do when they don’t take their holiday. So, boo hoo to the players! Toughen up and play with the team that gave you the opportunity first to get noticed around the world. The team that gave you the opportunity to play the T20 leagues. You can’t have your cake and eat it too,” Brad Hogg claimed.

Righty-o, maybe a bit late to the party, but I've discovered this thing on YouTube called 'Shorts'. So I've made one. IPL vs Country - what should cricketers prioritize? Here it is: https://t.co/B3xzc0erhN

— Brad Hogg (@Brad_Hogg) July 2, 2021

Players like David Warner, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell and others have been criticized after opting out of Australia’s upcoming white-ball tours. National selector Trevor Hohns and skipper Aaron Finch conceded players who perform well in the coming months would be given preference for the T20 World Cup, with their comments adding fuel to the fire.

Speaking on the issue, Shane Warne suggested action should be taken against players who prefer a franchise league over national duty, with Brad Hogg coming out in support of the leg-spinner.

“I agree with him. Players out there know that they are given a period of time where they can take a break from their cricket schedule. Now if they choose to go and play T20 tournaments to get some extra cash, it is on them,” Brad Hogg concluded.

Australian players set to be part of IPL 2021

Shane Warne said if players choose to play the IPL over country, then maybe it's not worth picking those guys. Otherwise this is going to happen, people are going to rest and miss Test matches and miss representing country to go and play for money. (On Road To Ashes Podcast).

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 26, 2021

A recent report in Cricbuzz stated that most of the Australian players are likely to be part of the rescheduled IPL that takes place in the UAE. IPL 2021 will likely be played from September 18 to October 10.

The publication stated that all Australian players, barring Pat Cummins, who has already declared his unavailability, are likely to be a part of the event. If it turns out to be true, it would be interesting to see how Brad Hogg, Shane Warne and other Australian cricketers react to it.