"He's got to get selected first" - David Warner hits back at Ashes rival ahead of marquee contest in England

Veteran Australian opener David Warner has taken aim at his Ashes nemesis Stuart Broad ahead of the marquee series this year. The left-handed batter declared that he would be prepared for the right-arm seamer better on this occasion.

By going around the wicket in the 2019 Ashes series, Broad dismissed Warner on seven occasions. The southpaw managed only 95 runs in ten innings at 9.5 during that leg, with only one half-century.

Speaking to The Age, Warner took a dig at Broad, stating that he's got to earn a selection first. The 36-year-old also brushed aside any reports of retirement, saying:

"He’s got to get selected first. I don’t really have any plans, to be honest, so if he gets selected, then I’ll adjust when I’m out there. Hopefully, this time around I can come out and look to score and play in a positive way. I’m picked here for a series to play cricket. one has spoken to me about any situation. I’m just here as an opening batter to continue my decade-long career."

The left-handed opener's spot has been under the scanner in the last 12 months. Barring his spirited innings of 200 against South Africa at MCG last year, Warner hasn't played any notable Test innings in the last 18 innings.

"I wanted to put it to bed" - David Warner on sandpapergate

David Warner. (Image Credits: Getty)

David Warner, who was involved in the 'sandpapergate' ball-tampering incident that took place in 2018, criticized Cricket Australia for not moving on from the controversy. The New South Wales native held the cricketing body accountable for not being in a better frame of mind last summer.

"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."

Warner added:

"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."

Before the 2023 Ashes series, Australia will lock horns with India in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final against India, starting on June 7th.