Cricket: Spinner at ease in Oz crosshairs

David Warner of Australia. Photo / Getty Images

A wry chuckle was the only reaction David Warner managed to elicit from Robin Peterson after he vowed to take down the South Africa spinner.

Peterson, speaking publicly for the first time since Warner made clear Australia's tactics for negotiating the left-arm finger-spinner, called it an unavoidable hazard of being in the same team as three quality pacemen.

"I don't think guys' [eyes] are going to be lighting up when Morne Morkel comes on. It's going to be when the poor spinner comes on," Peterson said.

"It's nothing new when playing for South Africa, they always try to target me and I've had reasonable success when people have tried to target me."

Warner also described Peterson as someone with a chip on their shoulder who likes to get into verbal contests.

"I think that's more Davey who likes to have a chat," the 34-year-old said yesterday, two days out from the start of the three-test series in Centurion.

"You have to have a laugh about these things. I know if any of the Australians have a word, it's all in good spirit.

"Whatever happens on the park, you leave it on the park, and hopefully we can have a drink after and laugh about it."

ICC match referee David Boon fined Peterson 50 per cent of his match fee last year for his role in a push and shove with Pakistan's Adnan Akmal.

But Warner's character assessment of Peterson would be shaped predominantly by the one test they played against each other, at the Waca where South Africa clinched a 1-0 series win in 2012.

Peterson, who celebrated with much effervescence and snared match figures of 6-171 when the two sides last met in Perth, was unconcerned about how vocal he is on the field.

"I like to encourage my teammates all the time, and if that rubs the opposition up the wrong way then so be it," said Peterson, who has played 14 tests in a career that started in 2003.

"Whether they see it as a chip on my shoulder, that's probably their issue.

"I just try and enjoy my cricket, play it hard."

AAP