'If Anyone Write About Me To Get Headlines, It Doesn't Bother Me', Says Warner After Silencing Critics With His Ton
Warner’s position in the Test side became a subject of public debate following an explosive column from former pace ace Mitchell Johnson, who criticised him in a column for the local West Australian newspaper.
But the 36-year-old batter silenced the critics with a swashbuckling century 164 off 211 balls in his farewell Test series as no other Australian passed fifty in their Day 1 total of 346 for 5 on Thursday.
"You saw what it was – it was a nice little quiet shush," Warne told reporters at stumps as quoted by cricket.com.au. When asked who the 'shush' was directed at, he added: "Just at anyone who wants to write stories about me and try to get headlines. That stuff doesn't bother me. I'm allowed to celebrate how I want."
When inquired about his intentions to reconcile his broken relationship with Johnson, with whom he played in a winning World Cup and Ashes, Warner referred Justin Langer's follow-up column in the same newspaper that Johnson should have "praised in public and criticised in private."
"Mitch is entitled to his opinion, he's a former player," Warner said while insisting the saga over his place in the team had not distracted him.
"I don't feel any extra pressure, I don't feel (like I have) any other points I have to prove," said Warner, who went past Michael Clarke and Matthew Hayden into fifth among Australia's all-time Test run scorers with his 26th red-ball hundred," he said.
"I am getting older, so your games are limited. It's probably game-by-game now. If I fail next innings, there will probably be headlines. If people are out to get you, or make a headline from your name, then so be it. I can't worry about that, I'm going to worry about what I'm going to do for the team.
"I've got to keep scoring runs and putting my team in a great position," added Warner.
En route to his incredible innings against Pakistan, Warner entered the top five run-getters for Australia in Test cricket, leapfrogging Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke. In the all-time list, his big hundred helped him surpass fellow swashbucklers Sir Viv Richards and Virender Sehwag.
He now stands fifth among Australia's highest Test run-getters with 8651 runs, trailing only Steve Smith, Steve Waugh, Allan Border and Ricky Ponting.