Mumbai, March 25 – David Warner, the former Australian opener, has revealed that he worked very hard to stay motivated and fit after retiring from the Indian Premier League (IPL) two years ago, as he prepares to captain the Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), a news report said on Wednesday.
The 39-year-old Warner, who represented Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals in a stellar 15-season career in the IPL before joining the neighbouring league last year, quit international cricket a few years back. He had to endure some tough times due to poor form in the IPL, losing his captaincy, and not being retained by his franchise.
Warner, who led Sunrisers to their only IPL title in 2016, scored 6,565 runs in 184 matches, placing him fourth behind Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, and Rohit Sharma.
Warner, who represented Australia in all three formats from 2009 to 2024, said he maintained his fitness regime after leaving the IPL. "After the IPL, I had to stay motivated and fit, so I maintained my fitness regime and followed a good diet, and now I am stronger and fitter than most players my age," Warner told Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net).
This is the second year Warner will be playing in the PSL. He scored 368 runs in 11 PSL matches last year, leading Karachi Kings to the playoffs, where they lost to Islamabad United.
According to the report, Warner hoped that new players joining the team would help them achieve better results. "We have quite a few exciting young players who will shine through to give us better results," said Warner.
The Kings also have the services of Warner's long-time teammate, Adam Zampa, who arrived in Lahore on Wednesday. "We have selected a balanced squad from the auction, which has now become a norm in most leagues," said Warner, who has also represented Sydney Thunder, Sydney Sixers, St Lucia Stars, Winnipeg Hawks, Sylhet Sixers, Dubai Capitals, Seattle Orcas, and London Spirit in franchise cricket.
The 2020 PSL champions, Karachi Kings, will face Quetta Gladiators in their first match on Friday.