NEW DELHI: Australia’s David Warner says the T20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies will not see the same mammoth scores built on flat pitches in this year’s Indian Premier League.
The current edition of the world’s richest cricket tournament has seen monumental totals, including Sunrisers Hyderabad twice breaking IPL records with 277 and 287.
Warner’s Delhi Capitals were at the receiving end of another run-fest when Hyderabad posted 266-7 at the weekend, courtesy of a 32-ball 89 by fellow Australian Travis Head.
But veteran opening batsman Warner said the pitches in the West Indies will have something for the bowlers when T20’s showpiece global event begins on June 1.
“They can be slower and they’re gonna turn a bit,” Warner, 37, told reporters, leaning on his experience in the Caribbean Premier League. “The wickets tend to get a little bit lower and slower.”
Australian batters Head and up-and-coming Jake Fraser-McGurk have scored at strike-rates of 216 and up to pummel the opposition IPL bowlers.
Warner has not been at his best with 167 runs for the season so far at a strike-rate of 135.77, but he said the anchor role will be key in the West Indies.
“Even when we played there in the 2010 World Cup, the pitches weren’t high-scoring,” he said. “That’s when you did need an anchor, someone like Mike Hussey came out and scored runs for us. He had to come and sort of knock it around.”
Warner added: “It’s gonna be completely different there. Add the natural elements as well. They’re going to be predominantly day games, I think, because of the timings. So that plays a big factor.”
Hyderabad, who won the IPL in 2016 under Warner, and their batsmen have redefined T20 scoring with their ability to hit nearly every ball out of the park.
Twice this year the team have hit a match-record 22 sixes and at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla ground they hammered an IPL-record 125 runs in the first six overs.
“The wickets have been very good. They’ve been very flat, very compact and very high-scoring,” said Warner.
“And when you’ve got small boundaries, you’re going to see very high scores.
“Back in the day there used to be turn and you couldn’t get those scores,” he added.
“Also, the lacquer on the ball is staying longer and hence it’s not getting chewed up, and hence very little turn on offer.”
Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2024
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