Warner doubtful for opener against Afghanistan

The Australian team management is sweating over the fitness of attacking opener David Warner for their first match of the World Cup against Afghanistan. The Aussies will commence their World Cup campaigns on June 1 at the County Ground in Bristol.

Warner left the Australian training session after complaints of a stiff glute muscle in his right leg. He will undergo a fitness test on Friday which will give a better indication of his availability for the contest.

Australian head coach Justin Langer confirmed the news while speaking in a press conference, saying:

“He [Warner] was a bit sore on Wednesday. He’s just a bit sore in his right glute. He is desperate to play, he’d love to play like all 15 players would. He’s jumping out of his skin, his energy is up and he’s laughing a lot which is a good sign. He’s really keen but we’ve got to make sure he can move, particularly in the field.”

Langer also spoke on how Friday would be an important day to further assess Warner’s condition:

“We’ll have a pretty good idea today, how he moves and how he pulls up in the morning. What I’ve expressed to him is that it’s really important to be fair to the other players as well. We don’t want to get to Saturday morning then make a call with a couple of guys wondering if they are going to play. The earlier the better, he knows that and collectively we’re really strong on that.”

If Warner does miss out, Usman Khawaja who has been in brilliant for over the past couple of series’ will open the batting with skipper Aaron Finch. Shaun Marsh could also find a place in the Australian middle order in case Warner is declared unfit for the contest.