Warner tells English fans to 'boo me' this summer

Former Australia batter David Warner says he would welcome English cricket fans booing him during The Hundred this summer.

The 38-year-old opener will feature in the competition for the first time after he was signed by London Spirit in this week's draft.

Warner has been afforded a feisty, and at times outright hostile, reception whenever he has played for Australia in England.

That even extended to the Long Room at Lord's during the 2023 Ashes when he and Usman Khawaja were involved in an altercation with members of the Marylebone Cricket Club in the wake of Jonny Bairstow's controversial stumping.

"I actually want them to come at Australians. I love that stuff. That's what gets me going," Warner said.

"If they want to boo me, boo me, but don't boo the team or anything like that."

When asked how he expected to be treated at Lord's - Spirit's home ground - given his Long Room spat was only a couple of years ago, Warner added: "We just have to wait until I step foot on that park. Then we'll see how the reception is.

"I'll have to walk past the Long Room first to get to the changing room. I'm really looking forward to going back there. We're there for the London Spirit. We're not there playing for the Australian cricket team.

"Most importantly I've got to work out if the Lord's lunches are the same for the Hundred as for internationals."

England will attempt to regain the Ashes when they head to Australia next winter having drawn a thrilling series 2-2 on home turf in 2023.

The success of the attacking approach to Test cricket fostered by coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes will be judged, for a large part, on the outcome of that Ashes tour.

However, Warner is sceptical that 'Bazball' will work in conditions down under with Australia's "world class" bowling attack boasting in excess of 1,400 Test wickets the "biggest hurdle for England".

He said: "I don't know if 'Bazball' is a myth now over there [in England], but I can't see it happening in Australia with the bounce and the fields Australia set last time in England.

"It would be pretty high risk to play like that in Australia. Given that you want to wear the wickets out a little bit, get into day four, day five, it's probably not the way to go about it."

Warner claimed any England players who will attempt to pick his brains this summer to get the inside track on Australia's players before the Ashes will get short shrift.

"I'll be getting asked a lot of questions I'm sure and I'll be tight lipped," he added.

Warner also said if Australia had an injury crisis during the Ashes he would turn down a call-up even if it was an emergency situation.

He had offered to come out of retirement last year for Australia's series with India when they had been struggling to find an opening partner for Khawaja, but is now retired permanently.

"Because we had people falling over left, right and centre, it was just basically a hand up if you needed it [against India]," Warner said.

"I'm well and truly done from that international scene. And as much as I'd love to be part of the Ashes again, that's me done."