An “exhausted” David Warner says he’ll have to work on ways to stay fresh next summer as he prepares to fly out to India frustrated that rain washed away any chance he and the Thunder had of staying alive in the BBL.
Warner was on 36 not out when the heavens opened up with the Thunder eight runs short on the DLS method in pursuit of the Heat’s ground record 5-203.
It looked like the players would get back on after a 45-minute delay at 1-52 with the hosts requiring 38 off 13 deliveries, but another downpour put an end to that with Usman Khawaja’s 94 enough to get the Heat through.
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It would have been a wild run chase if they got back on the field, and Warner says it’s time the DLS method was looked at given his side was in front of the Heat’s score at that stage on a pitch that gets easier to bat on.
“That was probably one of the best wickets that they’ve produced out here. We know that naturally when the dew comes in, it skids on nicely. It’s unfortunate there was a bit of rain. It put a dampener on everything,” Warner said.
“It was quite achievable. It was going to be harder for me with the longer pockets, so they probably would have bowled into the wicket and tried to execute that way. It is what it is.
“There was nothing on the radar at that stage and it was quite scattered when they had a look at it. There was no wind out there so as you saw with the smoke (from the pre-game fireworks) that didn’t blow away either.
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“It is frustrating, and I don’t know if Duckworth-Lewis takes in the surge as well and how many runs they got off that.
“There are a lot of things that they’ve got to look at when they’re readjusting those things, but to be fair, we were chasing 200 plus.
“They were 1-46 at the same time so I don’t know if they have to look into it that way as well with T20 cricket, but all in all, it’s unfortunate the rain was there.”
Friday night’s loss brings an end to Warner’s hectic home summer which featured the T20 World Cup, Test series against the West Indies and South Africa, an ODI series against England as well as a six-game stint in the BBL.
The veteran opener wasn’t at his best in the BBL but did help attract massive audiences on TV and huge crowds across the country, although he concedes the mammoth schedule has taken its toll.
Warner will attend the Australian Cricket Awards on Monday night and then fly out to India for a four-Test series the following morning, and he says he’ll have to make a few changes to stay fresh for the next home summer given how much cricket is coming up in the next few months.
“It’s been challenging. I’m quite tired, I’m exhausted,” he said.
“For me it’s about coming back and injecting some energy into the Thunder team and putting my best foot forward for the team by playing my role for Australian cricket which is to come back and hopefully put some entertainment out there.
“It hasn’t come off this year, but hopefully next year I can come out and be a little fresher than what I am at the moment.
“We had a World Cup to start the season. Next year we’re going to have a World Cup as well so it’s going to be a long lead-in to our summer. So from a personal perspective, I’m going to have to work out how to stay fresh.”
