Former prime minister John Howard believes Scott Morrison has handled the “very difficult” bushfire crisis well but urged him to work more closely with the states.

Mr Howard spoke to the Prime Minister on Sunday morning, saying people must move on from his ill-timed holiday and judge his actions on the ground fairly.

Former prime minister John Howard has praised Scott Morrison's handling of the bushfire crisis. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

“It’s obviously an incredibly difficult time for the country,” Mr Howard told the Herald during a break in play on day three of the Sydney cricket Test match.

“I don’t think he’s interested in the next opinion poll, if you want my opinion, I think what he wants to do now is make certain all of the responses are the right ones. In a federation like Australia, working closely with the states is the most important requirement a federal government has.”