Karachi Kings has refuted rumours circulating about his abrupt departure from a practice session and alleged anger at the pitch conditions.
Contrary to claims, Warner did not storm off or leave in frustration, but instead carried on with his preparation for the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10, which begins on April 11.
Warner, who is gearing up for the start of the tournament, had a productive practice session on the academy's practice pitch at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre.
He batted for more than three overs before returning to the Oval Ground to rejoin the ongoing intra-squad match, where he also contributed in the field.
Earlier, reports had suggested that Warner was upset due to the condition of the practice pitches in Pakistan, with some media outlets incorrectly stating that he had skipped the session and left angrily.
These reports were based on his preference for flat pitches, which he repeatedly insisted on, as opposed to the greener tracks typically seen in Australian conditions.
However, sources close to the Karachi Kings clarified that Warner simply opted to skip a media event to focus on assessing his squad in the intra-squad match.
The captains’ conference for PSL 10 took place ahead of the tournament opener on April 11. While five of the six franchise captains attended, Warner’s absence raised eyebrows. Multan Sultans’ Mohammad Rizwan, Lahore Qalandars’ Shaheen Shah Afridi, Peshawar Zalmi’s Babar Azam, Islamabad United’s Shadab Khan, and Quetta Gladiators’ Saud Shakeel were all present, while Karachi Kings was represented by their newly appointed vice-captain, Hasan Ali.
Warner’s absence was explained by the fact that he had chosen to focus on his team's preparations rather than attend the event. The previous day’s training session had been called off, leaving Warner with a window of opportunity to assess his team’s readiness ahead of their campaign.
The Karachi Kings will start their PSL 10 journey on April 12, with a home fixture against Multan Sultans at the National Bank Stadium. Meanwhile, PSL 10 will officially kick off on April 11 with defending champions Islamabad United taking on Lahore Qalandars at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The Karachi Kings’ squad for PSL 10 includes David Warner (captain), Abbas Afridi, Adam Milne, James Vince, Hasan Ali, Khushdil Shah, Shan Masood, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Tim Seifert, Zahid Mahmood, Litton Das, Mir Hamza, Fawad Ali, Riazullah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Kane Williamson, Mohammad Nabi, and Mirza Mamoon.
