Australian cricket great Shane Warne has published an open letter calling for his compatriot Kyrgios not to waste his talent.

The Australian tennis player has courted controversy, including being admonished over foul language at Wimbledon and picking up a fine for an on-court remark about the girlfriend of two-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka.

Warne is regarded as one of the all-time great bowlers and is a former Wisden Cricketers of the Year but was also involved in a number of controversies in his own career, including a one-year ban from cricket in 2003 after testing positive for a prohibited substance.

Warne waded into the turmoil surrounding Kyrgios with an open letter on Facebook, stating that his compatriot is "testing our patience" and urging him "not to waste your talent":