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Konstas to see World Test Championship? | 00:50
Former Test opener David Warner has yet to be convinced the Bazball “myth” is a proven method across all conditions, declaring he can’t see England’s bold strategy working on Australian soil next summer.
England has enjoyed mixed success since Bazball mastermind took charge of the Test side three years ago. Following a dominant home summer in 2022, Ben Stokes’ sealed a historic 3-0 series whitewash in Pakistan, shattering the record books in the process.
However, the sceptics returned after England suffered a 4-1 series to defeat to India in the subcontinent in 2023 and failed to retain the Ashes urn on home soil later that year.
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Warner, who retired from international cricket last year, got his first glimpse of Bazball during the 2023 Ashes campaign, warning that England’s aggressive batting could be exposed on Australia’s bouncy decks.
“I don’t know if Bazball is a myth now, but I can’t see it happening in Australia,” the 38-year-old told reporters this week.
“With the bounce and everything, the fields Australia set last time in England, it would be pretty high risk to play that in Australia.
“It’s probably not the way to go about it. If that is the way they go … it’s going to be high tempo, high energy and we’ll all get a couple of days off at the back end.”
Earlier this week, Warner was snapped up by the London Spirit in The Hundred Draft for AU$245,000. He will reunite with former Australian coach Justin Langer for the 100-ball competition, which gets underway in August.
The left-hander’s home ground will be Lord’s, where during the 2023 Ashes he and his Australian teammates infamously become embroiled in an ugly altercation with MCC members in the iconic Long Room.
Warner confessed he didn’t know sort of reception he’d receive from the Spirit fans.
“We’ll just have to wait until I step foot on that park first, won’t we? Then we’ll see how the reception is,” he said.
“I’ll have to walk past the Long Room first to get to the changing room! I actually want them to come at Australians. I love that stuff, that’s what gets me going but I want them to support London Spirit.
“If they want to boo me, boo me, but don’t boo the team. We’re not there playing for the Australian cricket team so they can cheer a little bit for myself but most importantly cheer for the team.
“I’m really looking forward to it, I know how English crowds are and it excites me.”
