Former Australia opener David Warner has maintained his criticsm of England record-breaker Joe Root from last week, claiming that Test cricket’s second-highest run-scorer will have nightmares of pacer Josh Hazlewood before the Ashes trip Down Under begins later this year.
Warner’s “surfboard” comments had washed up on prickly English shores last week, prompting a response from Root’s former teammate Stuart Broad, who declared that the England No. 4’s record against Hazlewood was not as bad as it was made to be.
“The big anchor there is Rooty, who is yet to score a hundred in Australia,” Warner had told BBC Sport.
“Josh Hazlewood tends to have his number quite a lot. He’ll have to take the surfboard off his front leg,” Warner added, referring to Root’s vulnerability to inswingers that often trap him lbw.
Root has been dismissed 10 times in 18 Tests by Australia seamer Josh Hazlewood, one fewer than the 11 times Australia captain Pat Cummins and India bowler Jasprit Bumrah have dismissed him. Broad, who has snapped Warner more often than any other bowler during his career, then took to X to clarify that Root did not possess a glaring weakness against Hazlewood. “I’ve never heard England’s best ever batters front pad called a Surfboard. Just for clarity. Hazlewood has got Rooty LBW in Test Cricket 3 times. Three,” wrote Broad.
The duo caught up during the Hundred 2025, where Warner is representing London Spirit and Broad is carrying out his broadcasting duties.
“I have to ask – do you always call your pads surfboards or do you save that for Rooty?” Broad asked his old Ashes foe.
“You’ve got to understand that I’m small, so I tend to say they are surfboards,” Warner replied.
“I liked your (X post) but I forgot to tweet back actually, I will do that after the game.”
After being pushed further by reporters post the game on Root’s weakness and Australia’s potential target zones, Warner revealed that the reigning Ashes champs aimed for Root around his pads in the past.
“That’s where we always targeted him.”
Refreshingly honest in ‘bunny’ comparisons, Warner equated Root’s perils against Hazlewood with his own poor record against Broad who accounted for his dismissal 17 times in Test cricket.
“The way that he brings down his bat playing on Australian wickets, it can bring him undone and I’ve seen it in the past,” Warner said of Root.
“I think he will have nightmares before he gets over there about Josh Hazlewood. A bit like me and Broady.
“Joe is a hell of a cricket player, look at the runs he has scored, the second leading run-scorer in the world. But I’m sure he’d like to score a hundred in Australia. It’s one that has eluded him. I think that will be on his mind, so we will have to wait and see.”
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