David Warner Shuts Down Doubters with Stellar World Cup Performances
Australian opener David Warner, who recently celebrated his 37th birthday, has been a standout performer in the ongoing World Cup. With an impressive tally of 413 runs at an average of 68.83, including centuries against Pakistan and the Netherlands, Warner is leading the charge for the Australian team.
Despite narrowly missing out on a third consecutive ODI hundred with a rapid 81 against New Zealand, Warner remains one of the most destructive in-form batter for Australia in World Cup 2023. His impeccable form has been a big reason behind Australia’s success in this World Cup. He provides such a dominant start which puts Australia ahead in the game from get go.
Warner has now 6 hundreds at cricket world cup which is most by an Australian. He also tops three highest scores by an Australian batter at World Cup, he is only second to Ricky Ponting in terms runs scored by an Australian at Cricket World Cup events. All he has done in almost half an innings than others took.
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Warner’s response to earlier criticism
Warner’s journey hasn’t been without its share of scrutiny, especially regarding his place in the Test side. Few months back, a number of pundits and ex-cricketers raised questions about Warner being first choice opener for Australia in the big tournament.
Everyone is entitled to have an opinion but the fact can’t be denied that David Warner is one of the best one-day batter Australia has ever produced, and he was rightly named ODI Player of the Year at the Australian Cricket Awards earlier in the year.
When asked about how he handles criticism, Warner responded confidently, saying, “Everyone keeps writing me off. I just make everyone look stupid.” He further expressed his resilience in the face of detractors, asserting, “At the end of the day, I’m doing as well as I can, I’m just trying to go out there and start as well as I can upfront.”
David Warner Focused on Upcoming Challenges
Warner’s attention is now fixed on the upcoming clash against England, a match of significant importance, with the opportunity to knock England out of the World Cup. Who could be a better opponent than Australia to do the fancy job with their own hands.
However, Warner remains wary of England’s capabilities, especially in situations where they have “nothing to lose.” He acknowledged England’s depth in both batting and bowling, saying “They’ve got some very high-quality players and we have to respect it. They bat to 11 and their bowling unit is very good.”
Additionally, Warner touched upon the timing of Australia’s upcoming bilateral T20 series against India, expressing that it’s less than ideal due to its proximity to the World Cup. This scheduling challenge means that multi-format players like Warner and Steve Smith won’t have the chance to play first-class cricket before the first Test against Pakistan.
Despite these hurdles, Warner accepts the situation, stating, “It is what it is, it’s in the calendar, we have to play.” Australia is looking in a great touch after becoming first team to score 350+ runs in 3 consecutive matches in World Cup. The fans will be hoping that David Warner and the Australian team can continue their impressive run in the tournament and potentially lift the World Cup trophy once again for the 6th time.
