Warner leader of the pack he sledged Down Under
CHENNAI: The aggressive nature of international cricket has given a new twist to the way the game is played these days, with sledging becoming an integral part of most clashes.
Australia and Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper David Warner has been a part of quite a few skirmishes, with the recent India tour of Australia seeing players from both sides engaged in heated verbal duels.
Strange as it may seem, it will be Warner’s turn to lead quite a few India players with whom he exchanged verbal volleys Down Under. India’s regular members such as Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shikhar Dhawan will all play under the Australian in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Speaking to HT, Warner said the transition would be normal as has been the case in previous editions. “We have been playing in the league for years. Usually when we play in the IPL, we look back and just have a laugh about our past run-ins,” he said. “The idea is to leave the animosity on the field and not think about it off it.”
During India’s tour of Australia before the World Cup, Warner’s heated argument with Rohit Sharma became one of the sore points. His dig at Rohit to speak in English almost acquired racist overtones. Warner clarified that it was not racist but a suggestion to Rohit to speak a language everyone on the field understood.
“Sledging has become a part and parcel of the game. The intention is to make a player lose his concentration. That’s it. I like to restrict such things to the field. But if someone takes it off the field it needs to be addressed,” he added.