"Pride myself on my fitness" - David Warner opens up about his brilliant fielding through the 2023 World Cup
Australian star David Warner attributed his magnificent fielding, even at 36, to his prime fitness and the attitude to pull off game-changing catches.
Despite the side's lackluster fielding effort at times during the World Cup, Warner has been as athletic as ever, including pulling off a spectacular catch on the outfield to dismiss Kusal Mendis. Among the best fielders in world cricket, the Australian has taken 208 catches in 361 games across formats.
When it comes to fielding, David Warner was quoted by The Sydney Morning Herald as saying:
"I pride myself on my fitness, so now I keep taking the mickey out of a lot of the guys here. I’m almost 37, running around like a little bulldog in the outfield. It comes down to attitude. And that’s what fielding is; it’s all about attitude. Get 10 pieces of laundry, dive around, throw yourself around, and try and take those match-winning catches that can turn the game."
The Victorian elaborated on fielding being a non-negotiable and his utmost commitment to diving for a catch or saving a boundary.
"You see people half commit. I’d rather commit and [have] it go for four when I’m trying to take a catch or save a boundary. For me, it’s a non-negotiable," Warner stated.
Warner has struggled with the bat so far in the World Cup, scoring only 65 runs in three innings. However, he hasn't let that affect his effort on the field, with a tournament-leading five catches in three games.
Meanwhile, Australia registered their first victory against Sri Lanka following two dismal defeats to India and South Africa.
"Perfect example of ignorance and arrogance in a way" - David Warner
David Warner came out in support of teammate Mitchell Starc and criticized the batter in question, Kusal Perera, for coming out of the crease at the non-striker's end despite being warned.
Starc displayed a praiseworthy spirit of the game quality by not running out Perera in the first over of the game and only handing him a warning for venturing out of the crease. He also notified the umpire regarding the same despite which Perera walked out a second time later in the innings, leading to Starc aborting his run-up again.
"To be fair, if you warn someone, you’d think that they wouldn’t do it [again]. That’s just a perfect example of ignorance and arrogance in a way; just not listening. I remember Ed Cowan used to do it all the time without even noticing. And he was still horrendous between wickets, even though he had a three-metre advantage," David Warner said.
Despite Perera scoring a breathtaking 78 off 82 deliveries, the Aussies restricted Sri Lanka to 209 and chased down the target in a mere 35.2 overs.
The five-time world champions will take on Pakistan in a blockbuster clash in Bengaluru on Friday, October 21.