‘Boo me, but don’t boo the team’: David Warner | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: Former Australia batter David Warner is unbothered by the prospect of being booed by English cricket fans during The Hundred this summer. In fact, he welcomes the challenge.The 38-year-old opener is set to make his debut in the competition after being picked up by London Spirit in this week’s draft. Warner has often encountered a hostile reception in England, with tensions reaching a peak during the 2023 Ashes at Lord’s following Jonny Bairstow’s controversial stumping.”I actually want them to come at Australians. I love that stuff. That’s what gets me going,” Warner said. “If they want to boo me, boo me, but don’t boo the team or anything like that.”Reflecting on his return to Lord’s, Spirit’s home ground, Warner acknowledged the potential for a charged atmosphere. “We’ll have to wait until I step onto that field and see how they respond. I’ll have to walk past the Long Room first to get to the dressing room, so that will be interesting,” he said.Will Rohit Sharma win 2027 World Cup? Astrologer Lobo predicts after getting Champions Trophy bang on!”But this time, I’m playing for London Spirit, not Australia. And most importantly, I need to find out if the Lord’s lunches are as good for The Hundred as they are for internationals!”Looking ahead to England’s 2025-26 Ashes tour of Australia, Warner expressed doubts about the effectiveness of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes’ aggressive style of Test cricket, known as ‘Bazball,’ in Australian conditions.”I don’t know if ‘Bazball’ is still a thing in England, but I just can’t see it working in Australia,” he said. “With the bounce and the types of fields Australia set last time in England, it would be a high-risk approach. You want to wear out the pitch and take the game into days four and five, and that style doesn’t really allow for that.”Champions Return: Rohit, Hardik, Shreyas, Gambhir return after India’s title triumphWarner also dismissed any notion of providing insights on Australian players to his English teammates at London Spirit. “I’m sure I’ll get plenty of questions, but I won’t be giving anything away,” he said.Although Warner briefly considered coming out of retirement for Australia’s series against India last year when the team struggled to find a reliable opening partner for Usman Khawaja, he insists his international career is over.”That was just a case of putting my hand up if needed, with guys dropping out left, right, and center,” Warner explained. “But I’m well and truly finished at the international level. As much as I’d love to be part of another Ashes series, that chapter is closed for me.”Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, and live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Find out how to watch IPL 2025 in Canada and the USA.
