Nel - 'If they can get away with it, why can't we try?'

Andre Nel: not the most retiring of appealers, either © Getty Images

The dispute between South Africa and Australia surrounding Shane Warne's vociferous appealing promises to continue, with Andre Nel suggesting the South Africans are to match their opponents with their own enthusiastic questioning of the umpires.

"If they can get away with it, why can't we try and get away with it too," Nel told reporters at Sydney airport. "Maybe we can try and put pressure on umpires, inexperienced umpires, which they do very, very well. Maybe we can learn from them to do that better."

Despite the South African's protestations about Warne's aggressive appealing in this week's second Test at Melbourne, he wasn't reported by the umpires. Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, said Warne was a master at pressuring the umpires but Chris Broad, the match referee, rejected suggestions that he should face disciplinary action for his robust appealing, particularly to rookie Test umpire Asad Rauf of Pakistan.

"I think they are very, very clever about the way they do things with umpires," Nel added. "They put a lot of pressure on the umpires and sometimes it counts in their favour. Maybe we can learn something from them in a certain way by doing this. But sometimes they go a bit overboard and it gets a bit annoying, but that's the way they do it and it's working for them."

Meanwhile, newly-arrived Johan Botha was shielded from the media at the airport. Off-spinner Botha, 23, who has yet to play a Test, joined the team last Thursday and could partner established spinner Nicky Boje in the third Test on the spin-friendly Sydney pitch. Nel described Botha as 'a surprise package,' but South African officials didn't want to subject Botha to undue media pressure.

Nel added that he was looking forward to opening the fast bowling attack alongside Pollock."It's always nice to get the chance with the new ball and to bowl with Polly," he said. "If I can fill the boots Makhaya has filled the last few years, I'm looking forward to the challenge."