Former Australia batter David Warner has no issues with English cricket fans booing him during The Hundred this summer. In fact, he welcomes it. The 38-year-old opener will make his debut in the competition after being picked up by London Spirit in this week’s draft. Warner has often faced a hostile reception when playing in England, with tensions even boiling over in the Lord’s Long Room during the 2023 Ashes 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.”
When asked about his return to Lord’s, Spirit’s home ground, Warner acknowledged the potential for another heated 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.
“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 is unconvinced that Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes’ aggressive style of Test cricket – dubbed ‘Bazball’ – will hold up 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.”
Warner also dismissed any idea that he might offer insights on Australia’s 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.
While Warner briefly entertained the idea of coming out of retirement for Australia’s series against India last year – when the team was struggling to find a reliable opening partner for Usman Khawaja – he insists he’s now done with international cricket for good.
“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.”
Topics mentioned in this article
