The Australian cricket contingent is currently in the Maldives as they departed from India after the postponement of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. The fourteenth season of the cash-rich league was suspended by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after the COVID-19 breached the bio bubble of different franchises.
On Saturday, The Daily Telegraph had reported that Australia’s opening batsman David Warner and cricket commentator Michael Slater engaged in a physical brawl at a bar in Maldives.
It is a known fact that both Slater and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) star player Warner are long time friends, but the reports claimed that the two had a heated disagreement, which later went out of hands.
However, Warner and Slater have now responded to the rumours, stating the report has no truth, and both continue to be really close friends.
“There is absolutely nothing to the rumour mill, Buzz. Davie and I are great mates and absolutely zero chance of (having) a fight,” Slater texted as quoted by Fox Cricket.
Similarly, Warner, who is part of the 40-member Australian group, including players, coaches and cricket staff, have flown to the Maldives on a chartered flight organised by the BCCI, denied the reports, saying nothing has happened between him and Slater.
“There has been no drama. I don’t know where you get these things from. Unless you were here and have got concrete evidence, you can’t write anything. Nothing happened,” Warner texted.
The southpaw did not have fruitful outings in IPL 2021 as he was snubbed as the captain of SRH, following a string of low scores with the willow and consecutive losses. Warner, who led SRH to their only IPL title in 2016, was replaced by Kane Williamson as the skipper. Not only this but he was also not picked in the playing XI of Sunrisers’ last game of the season before the competition was postponed indefinitely.