‘Derogatory and vulgar’ - David Warner calls out New Zealand spectator behavior towards Aussies

David Warner, the veteran Australian cricketer, has once again brought attention to the "derogatory and vulgar" abuse he faced from New Zealand fans on his last tour. The seasoned cricketer is preparing to tour the country one last time before he hangs up his international boots. Warner, who played his last Test match for Australia last month, is now nearing the end of his illustrious white-ball career too.

Ahead of the first T20I on Wednesday in Wellington, the 37-year-old revisited memories of the abuse he and his teammates faced during the 2016 tour, which included personal attacks on his family. Warner expressed his concerns over the behavior of some New Zealand spectators.

"They got personal. If they have to get personal, that’s their character. I just go about my business. That’s upon each individual. If you want to pay your money to come and abuse people then, you know, you have to go back and lay in your own bed. We get to play the game of cricket that we love,” said Warner.

Also read: Matt Henry, Tim Seifert ruled out of Australia T20Is with injuries

We don’t expect to wake up and be hounded for six or seven hours - Warner

Reflecting on the same tour, Warner described the abuse as "derogatory and vulgar," revealing the distress it caused him and his teammates. He particularly emphasized the impact of such behavior on his family.

"To be honest, it’s something we’re always going to have in our minds. It doesn’t matter if you’re at home or away, you’re going to cop some form of abuse. We don’t expect to wake up and be hounded for six or seven hours. Some of the stuff was pretty derogatory and vulgar [and] the upsetting thing was the fact that if my two daughters were in the crowd, I wouldn’t want them listening to that sort of stuff," he added.

Warner highlighted that the abuse extended beyond mere banter, reaching a point where players felt compelled to raise concerns and request the removal of persistently disruptive spectators.

"Some of the boys raised the issue, [to say] ‘Can you get rid of this bloke, because it’s just not necessary’,” Warner revealed.

Despite the unpleasant memories associated with New Zealand tours, Warner acknowledged the significance of the rivalry between Australia and New Zealand.

“I haven’t been here since 2016, I think, so it’s been a while since I was here. I think Zealand have come over to us probably six or seven times in that time period. So it’s good to be back here, that’s for sure,” the left-hander concluded.

Australia are touring New Zealand for three T20Is and two Test matches. Notably, T20Is, along with ODIs, will now be a part of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. The series starts on February 21 in Wellington.

Also read: T20Is added to Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, point structure to decide winner