David Warner
of Australia predicts that the
T20 World Cup
, set to be co-hosted by the United States and West Indies, will not witness the same colossal scores seen on the flat pitches of this year's Indian Premier League.
The ongoing edition of cricket's wealthiest tournament has witnessed massive totals, with Sunrisers Hyderabad shattering IPL records twice with scores of 277 and 287.
Warner's Delhi Capitals experienced another high-scoring encounter when Hyderabad posted 266 for 7 over the weekend, fueled by a rapid 32-ball 89 from fellow Australian Travis Head.
However, Warner, a seasoned opening batsman, believes that the pitches in the West Indies will offer more opportunities for bowlers when the T20's premier global event commences on June 2.
"They can be slower and they're gonna turn a bit," the 37-year-old Warner said talking to reporters. "The wickets tend to get a little bit lower and slower."
Australia opener Head and the emerging Jake Fraser-McGurk have been striking at rates of 216 and above, mercilessly taking on the IPL bowlers.
Warner, however, hasn't quite hit his stride, accumulating 167 runs this season at a strike-rate of 135.77. Nevertheless, he emphasized the importance of playing the anchoring role in the matches to come 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, champions of the IPL in 2016 under Warner's leadership, have revolutionized T20 scoring with their remarkable knack for sending almost every ball soaring over the boundary.
This season, the team has twice smashed the record for the most sixes in a match, tallying an impressive 22 sixes on two occasions. Moreover, at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium, they bludgeoned an IPL-record 125 runs in the first six overs, showcasing their unparalleled batting prowess.
"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.
"Also, the lacquer on the ball is staying longer and hence it's not getting chewed up, and hence very little turn on offer."
(With AFP inputs)
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