Australian veteran David Warner says he doesn’t understand the constant noise around his selection to various teams.
The 37-year-old batting legend — who is most likely in his final World Cup campaign — just helped Australia get over the line against Oman with a 102 fourth-wicket partnership with allrounder Marcus Stoinis.
Warner anchored the innings with his 51-ball stay for 56 runs, and took his overall T20 total for Australia to 3155 runs — overtaking his former opening partner Aaron Finch (3120) as Australia’s most prolific batter in the format.
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But ahead of the World Cup is selection in the team was a source of great conjecture, with many thinking the swashbuckling Jake Fraser-McGurk should have been picked ahead of him.
The pair played together for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, and Fraser-McGurk certainly pushed his case hard, while Warner’s form was patchy.
But Warner — who was player of the tournament in the 2021 World Cup — has again shown why selectors keep the faith, while hitting back at those who don’t.
“It doesn’t fuel me,” he said.
“It’s in one ear and out the other.
“(But) I don’t understand why it’s always about myself. There’s 11 players in the team, I don’t understand it, I don’t get it.
“I just go out there and do my job. My job is to go out there and score runs.
“People think they have to keep criticising the way that I play … honestly I have no answers as to why people are like that.
“I’ve had it my whole career, I don’t look at it, I don’t listen to it and, when you’re all the way around the world, you don’t need to see it.
“As long as I’m contributing to the team and I’m putting us in the best position possible, I’ll just keep trying my best.”
Test captain Pat Cummins, who led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the Indian Premier League final last month, was rested for the match against Oman, with Australia instead bringing in Tasmanian pacer Nathan Ellis.
Australia are trying to become the first team to hold all three major International Cricket Council trophies – one-day international and T20 world cups as well as the World Test Championship – at the same time.
Australia’s next game is a blockbuster against defending champions England at the same venue in Barbados on Saturday.
“Given the amount of cricket that he’s played, they might have rested him, not sure,” Warner said about Cummins.
“I think they’re looking after him.
“I think with him, his execution is always on point. I think the difference with Paddy is he’s got the height and he stands the ball up and on this surface it’s going to be up and down.”
The pitches have been a huge talking point in the tournament so far with some reportedly slow and low and below standard.
“I’m not shocked (by them),” Warner said.
“I’ve played CPL here in 2018. I’ve played a lot of cricket over here. They’re all the same.
“The variation in bounce is the one that surprises you because, when they pitch the ball on that eight-metre length, your natural instinct is to pull it. You have to go back to targeting straight, backing yourself and if it does bounce (unusually), so be it.”
– With AAP