"It just sells papers and clickbait": David Warner looking to avoid Ashes banter
Jun 03, 2023
London [UK], June 3 : The Australian batter David Warner has asserted that he is not looking forward to getting involved in any sort of pre-match Ashes banter with the English players.
At the age of 36, Warner is most likely playing his final tour of England, before that he will also feature in the one-off ICC World Test Championship Final against India at The Oval which will begin on June 7.
Warner struggled a lot during the last Ashes and even this time his arch-rival Stuart Broad won't be making it easy for him. Across his decorated career, Warner has been restricted by the Englishman to just 95 runs at an average of less than 10.
With Board keen to reignite his rivalry with the Australian batter, Warner is looking for a calmer approach and avoiding a war of words with the veteran English bowler.
"It just sells papers and clickbait, so I won't be getting involved in any of that stuff," Warner said as quoted by ICC.
"I will leave it to themselves. Today there is no real banter in the field," Warner added.
"It is just about playing quality cricket and trying to get the upper edge on each other. It is a lot more connected these days than before which I think is great for the game," Warner concluded.
The 36-year-old scored just 95 runs in five Tests at 9.5 during the 2019 Ashes tour and has struggled at times over the previous two years, recording just one century - his epic 200 on Boxing Day last summer - and 18 scores of 15 or less in 32 innings.
Despite his inconsistencies, Warner claims he has received no ultimatums or demands from team officials, including captain Pat Cummins and coach Andrew McDonald.
"I'm picked here for a series to play cricket. No one has spoken to me about any situation. I'm just here as an opening batter to continue my decade-long career," Warner said.
