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David Warner fires first shots as mind games begin before Ashes: 'Ben Stokes' team playing for moral victory'
Australia and England are gearing up for a fierce Ashes series. David Warner has ignited tensions, suggesting England seeks moral victories.
Cricket is getting ready for one of its fiercest rivalries between Australia and England. The Ashes is around the corner, and the mind games around it have started. The former Australian batter, David Warner, has thrown down the gauntlet, delivering an attention-grabbing barb aimed squarely at England less than six weeks before the start of the series.
Speaking at the Kayo Sports and Fox Sports Summer of Cricket launch in Parramatta on Monday, the recently retired opener did not shy away from taking a cheeky dig at their arch-rivals while hinting that England prefer the narratives over the trophies.
“The Australian way because we are playing for the Ashes and they are playing for a moral victory," Warner said, before adding, “There is your headline.”
The 38-year-old, who bowed out of Test cricket earlier this year, did not stop at that. He urged the Australian team to engage in verbal warfare and keep England on the back foot throughout the five-Test series, which begins on November 21 in Perth.
“Generally, it is someone like myself who is starting it, but I want to see someone else in the camp start something, whether it is Heady or someone else,” Warner said.
“I do want to see some bantering out on the field, and I want to see them going at each other a little bit. Because that is what creates that energy and involvement in the game,” Warner further added.
Warner also weighed in on Australia’s chances depending on captain Pat Cummins’ fitness for the first match at Perth, suggesting the hosts would be the strong favourites regardless.
Respect for Ben Stokes
Despite his appetite for the on-field theatre, Warner issued a clear warning for the Aussies about the English captain, Ben Stokes. The former opener, who shared a dressing room with Stokes earlier, praised the English skipper’s evolution and urged his teammates to tread carefully.
“I had the fortunate privilege to share a change room with him when he was younger, and he has evolved into a serious cricketer and a fantastic leader,” Warner said. “If we can sort of not poke that bear and get him up and about, I think that will help the Australians enormously,” Warner added further.
The statements by Warner are a trademark of him, stirring the pot while identifying the battles to pick. The “moral victory” jab is likely a reference to last year’s drawn 2-2 series in England, where Australia retained the urn but faced persistent chatter about the competitive nature of the contest.
England, under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, has built their Bazball philosophy to respond to criticism with aggression on the field. Warner’s comments land perfectly in that wheelhouse, setting the tone for what promises to be a fiery summer.
