Legend’s World Cup Warner whack backfires

Early in the eighth over of Australia’s miraculous run chase at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Pakistan spinner Mohammad Hafeez delivered a rank half-tracker that bounced twice before reaching Warner at the striker’s end.

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The Australian opener skipped down the track and blasted the ball over the mid-wicket boundary for six. To rub salt into the wound, the delivery was called a no-ball for bouncing twice, meaning the next ball would be a free hit.

Because umpire Richard Kettleborough considered Hafeez’s delivery not to be a dead ball, Warner was entirely within his rights to smack it wherever he pleased.

However, some cricket fans accused the 35-year-old of poor sportsmanship, arguing he should not have attacked a delivery that slipped out of Hafeez’s hand.

Speaking on the Star Sports post-game TV coverage, former Indian batter Gautam Gambhir suggested Warner’s actions were against the spirit of the game.

“Shane Warne comments and tweets on everything. Even Ricky Ponting makes big, big claims about the spirit of the game. What have they got to say about this?” Gambhir said.

Gambhir later tweeted: “What an absolutely pathetic display of spirit of the game by Warner! #Shameful.”

But many cricket fans also jumped to Warner’s defence and criticised Gambhir’s hot take, arguing the bad ball deserved to be dispatched over the rope and there was no reason for the Aussie opener to show any leniency in a cutthroat World Cup semi-final.

“This is the worst take in cricket this year,” sports journalist Daniel Cherny tweeted.

“If you don’t want to be hit for six then don’t bowl a ball that bounces twice,” Fox Sports’ Tom Morris said.

Journalist Gus Bruno wasn’t impressed with Gambhir’s view either, tweeting: “This take is absolute hogswash, @GautamGambhir”.

“No free rides in professional cricket, no less a tense T20 World Cup semi-final.”

Even Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin, who has become renowned for executing controversial “mankad” run-outs while bowling, praised Warner’s powerful hitting.

“Absolutely it was a wonderful hit by @davidwarner31,” he tweeted, adding: “Great shot”.

Many pundits thought Gambhir’s criticism of Warner may have been a poor attempt at sarcasm or at best a bid to get a reaction out of cricket fans, but that didn’t stop them ripping in to the former Indian star.

The Australian’s cricket writer Peter Lalor was having none of t it.

“Apologies to Gautam, I missed the sarcasm,” he said.

“I’ll give myself a punch in the head.”

Sports writer Richard Hinds added: “Is this facetious? An in-joke? If not … well out of line.”

Warner was eventually dismissed by Shadab Khan for 49, albeit in controversial circumstances.

The left-hander was given out caught behind and walked off the ground, but replays clearly showed there was daylight between the ball and his bat. Meanwhile, Ultra Edge — the technology used to determine if a batter has edged a delivery — didn’t register a noise either.

If he was confident he didn’t hit it, Warner could have reviewed the decision. The third umpire would have seen the gap between bat and ball, looked at the flat line on Ultra Edge and given Warner a reprieve.

But there was no challenge of the on-field umpire’s decision and the Aussie’s knock came to a bizarre end, leaving his team with plenty to do at 4/89 in the 11th over.

However, Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade combined for a thrilling 81-run partnership to guide Australia towards a five-wicket victory over Pakistan.

Aaron Finch’s men will face New Zealand in the T20 World Cup Final on Monday morning AEDT at 1am.

With Nic Savage and James Matthey

Originally published as ‘Absolute hogwash’: Cricket legend slammed for bizarre World Cup hot take