Australian cricketer David Warner has been unable to score runs at the moment and faces the ax – but he still found time to poke fun at the media and hurl threats at the national team ahead of the Boxing Day test in Melbourne.
The under-pressure batsman, 36, posted a series of photos from an Instagram story on Monday featuring his daughters as well as pictures from the luxurious Ayana Resort in Bali.
It left many believing Warner had flown to Indonesia for a reset – despite the test being just days away at the MCG.
The senior Cricket Australia staff were hit for six by questions about Warner’s apparent absence, surprising bowling coach Dan Vettori when asked if ‘Bull’ was still in the country.
Team media manager Cole Hitchcock chimed in and said ‘he’s not in Bali’ but isn’t 100 percent sure, adding that ‘he’ll look into it but I highly doubt it.’
It was later confirmed that Warner was in Sydney.
The ‘joke’ was directed at a friend of Warner’s, with the photos from Monday’s Instagram story dated 19 December 2022 – despite the fact they were taken more than a year ago.
Australian cricket star David Warner has raised eyebrows after apparently flying to Bali for a quick getaway ahead of his 100th Test career (pictured, with two of his daughters)
Warner later posted an image from The Rock Bar in Bali, part of the luxury Ayana Resort – but it was an old photo
What a comedian.
The unnecessary distraction for Pat Cummins’ squad perhaps provides an insight into Warner’s fragile state of mind as he faces the prospect of being dropped before his 100th test.
While run machines Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith spent more time in the nets honing their craft with bowling coach Vettori, funny man Warner was posting from Coogee Beach in the east of Sydney on Tuesday.
Warner then informed his 9.6 million followers in his latest Instagram story that he was going to the grocery shop before offering some life advice – ‘don’t be fooled’.
Perhaps playing mind games with journalists is more important in Warner’s eyes than staying in Australia’s XI?
In the first match of the series at the Gabba, the left-hander made only scores of 0 and 3 against the Proteas.
He did not feel comfortable at the crease in Brisbane and calls for his axing increased.
Warner has not scored a test century since January of 2020, averaging 26.07 with the bat, and while the likes of Labuschagne, Smith and Travis Head are scoring runs for fun, the Randwick Petersham junior is barely bothering the scorers.
Warner was out for 0 and 3 against South Africa in the first test at the Gabba in Brisbane
Proteas paceman Kagiso Rabada dismissed Warner in both his innings at the Gabba in the first test
National selector George Bailey backed Warner to end his slump in form.
‘I think there are people running around for him,’ he said.
‘There’s no doubt, and David will be the first to say it, he wants a few more runs and contributes a bit more knowing the importance of that role at the top of the order.
‘But I have full confidence that it will come. ‘He moves well. He was well caught. When people start going – for want of a better way to put it – it’s the catch that goes, the movement goes.
‘But he is still an outstanding fielder, still fit as a fiddle.’
Aussie cricket great Ricky Ponting believes Warner deserves to bow out on his own terms.
‘He’s a champion player — you never write off champion players,’ Ponting told Channel 7.
Former Australia all-rounder Simon O’Donnell (left), has called on Warner to retire from test cricket, but Ricky Ponting (right) believes the opener should be given another chance
Warner averages just 21.64 this year and has not made a test century since January 2020
‘When he’s done, he deserves to be out of his term. He has been a wonderful stalwart for Australian cricket.
‘He deserves the chance to finish the way he wants to finish.’
Former Australian all-rounder Simon O’Donnell disagreed, believing Warner should retire from test cricket before dropping him.
‘I think he (Warner) is thinking and possibly should (retire) at the end of the Sydney test,’ O’Donnell told SEN Radio.
‘We are not talking about David Warner in the last innings, we are talking about David Warner in the last two years, he has not been the player he was then.
‘That suggests to me that if David finds form again, it won’t last long.’
