"Don't understand why it's always about myself" - David Warner hits back at his strike rate critics

Australian opening batter David Warner has hit back at his strike rate critics, questioning why he is the only one targetted. Although Warner scored a critical half-century (56) against Oman in Australia's opening match of T20 World Cup 2024, he consumed 51 deliveries, prompting questions about his strike rate. The southpaw's innings helped Australia reach a winning total of 164.

Speaking to reporters ahead of facing England on Saturday, June 8, the veteran batter stated that he just goes about his job of scoring runs and was not answerable to anyone. As quoted by cricket.com.au, he said:

"I doesn't fuel me. It's in one ear and out the other. 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."

The 37-year-old is the highest run-getter for Australia in T20Is with 3,155 runs in 104 matches, striking at 141.92 and averaging 33.92.

"They're all the same" - David Warner on the conditions in the Caribbean

In the same conversation, Warner said that he is not surprised by the tricky batting conditions in the Caribbean, elaborating:

"I'm not shocked. 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."

Australia are the current holders of the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup and are hoping to become the first team to hold all three titles simultaneously.