Veteran opener David Warner has fired back at England’s pre-Ashes loudmouth Stuart Broad by saying the seamer has “got to get selected first” before he worries about how to face him.
Warner is under pressure to produce runs after struggling at Test level for more than two years but he’s gone on the front foot by taunting the bowler who dismissed him seven times in the 2019 Ashes.
The left-hander managed just 95 runs at 9.5 in that series but in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, he revealed that he was not concerned with having a specific plan for countering Broad.
“I don’t really have any plans, to be honest, so if he gets selected, then I’ll adjust when I’m out there,” Warner said. “Hopefully, this time around I can come out and look to score and play in a positive way.”
(Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
Broad started his summer in style after his five-wicket haul helped England dismiss Ireland for 172 before the hosts finished only 20 runs behind on the opening day of the one-off Test at Lord’s.
He ripped through the Irish top order during the first hour on his way to 5-51 from 17 overs to get himself on the Lord’s honours board for the first time since 2013.
Warner is set to open alongside Usman Khawaja in the World Test Championship final next week at The Oval and also be at the top of the order when the Ashes gets underway in Birmingham on June 16.
“I’m picked here for a series to play cricket,” Warner said. “No one has spoken to me about any situation. I’m just here as an opening batter to continue my decade-long career.”
The 36-year-old is still fuming about Cricket Australia’s handling of his appeal over his lifetime leadership ban which dragged on last year before he eventually withdrew the request because of the ongoing distraction it was causing.
“It was ridiculous,” Warner told the SMH. “I wanted to put it to bed and they kept on just dragging it out and not giving answers. No one wanted to be accountable, no one wanted to make a decision. You have an administration where there seemed to be a lack of leadership.
“They could have nipped it in the bud straight away, but I’m getting a phone call day one, two, three of the Test matches and speaking to lawyers etc when I didn’t need to. I actually felt disrespected in the way that I wasn’t able to actually have a clear mind to play the game and concentrate on the game.”
Stuart Broad celebrates. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Perry’s ‘full circle’ mission to provide Ashes edge
Ellyse Perry continues to plunder runs in her second coming but it’s a bowling overhaul she’s relished that could have the biggest Ashes impact.
A star of the side since her international debut in 2007, the all-rounder was an onlooker unable to crack the best XI when Australia won Commonwealth Games gold last year.
Perry found another gear at the crease though, forcing her way back into the short-form side to help Australia to the T20 World Cup title in February.
Averaging 75 in a 10-Test career that includes a double century, Perry’s position in Australia’s top order for this month’s five-day fixture against England has been strengthened further in the absence of captain Meg Lanning.
She warmed up for the Test at Trent Bridge starting on June 22 with an unbeaten century in Australia’s intra-squad hit-out in Brisbane this week.
But the 32-year-old, who debuted for Australia as a tearaway 16-year-old quick, told AAP it was her bowling that’s been under the microscope ahead of the multi-format Ashes series.
“I’ve loved it actually,” she said of sessions with former Queensland quick and Australian women’s assistant coach Scott Prestwidge.
Ellyse Perry. (Photo by Steve Christo/Corbis via Getty Images)
“It’s come a bit full circle. The challenge was to develop as a batter after getting my opportunity as a bowler. Now it’s back to developing some things in my bowling to play a bigger role again.”
Perry’s raw pace as a teenager was enough to shoot her to the top of the queue.
But the depth of talent now means there are options, Perry often used sparingly in a team stacked with versatile weapons.
But coach Shelley Nitschke and new captain Alyssa Healy have flagged the possibility of playing two leg-spinners – Alana King and Georgia Wareham – as well as off-spinner Jess Jonassen in their Test XI.
Having Perry firing with the ball, as well as the bat would help allow that.
Sessions with Prestwidge have focused on quicker movement through the crease by reducing the height of her jump and time spent on her back foot while loading up.
“My body, in this last little bit, has felt really great,” Perry said.
“I had a patch there fighting against things, so I’ve been working hard to get back to that and am having a nice run at it.
“I feel really free from that point of view. It’s been a fun process.”
With that in mind, Perry has no plans to pull up stumps on her career despite now being able to boast that she’s spent half of her life in the national program.
“I’d love to still be involved as long as people like me around,” she said.
“It’s restrictive to think you can play for ‘x’ many years.
“But it might be a case that I can wake up tomorrow and it might not be the same for me.”
Ashes countdown: Days to go …
14
The number of runs that gave England victory at Nottingham in the 2013 series opener. The Aussies looked on their way to chasing down the target of 311 at 3-161 but James Anderson took 5-73 to save the day despite a last-wicket stand of 65 from Brad Haddin (71) and James Pattinson (25 not out).
On This Day …
June 2 – A total of 27,742 Test runs was born in the form of three future cricketers in Sydney – twins Steve and Mark Waugh in 1965 and Steve Smith 24 years later. Smith (8792) is closing in on Steve Waugh’s 10,927 while Mark Waugh (8029) is also in Australia’s all-time top 10.
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