NEW DELHI: Australian opener David Warner recalled his time playing for the Northern Districts Knights in New Zealand's domestic 20-over tournament, calling it an eye-opener.
Speaking before the first T20 match between Australia and New Zealand in Wellington on Wednesday, Warner mentioned that there were limited opportunities in the tournament back in 2010.
"That was an eye opener - there wasn't much out there," Warner was quoted by cricket.com.au as saying.
Warner made his debut for Northern Districts Knights in December 2010 at the age of 24. The following year, he made his international debut in the 50 and 20-over formats. Warner expressed his confusion during the tournament, feeling like he was in a 'ghost town'.
"It was the first place I went to, I didn't know what was going on. I literally thought it was a ghost town, I was walking down the street and I think it was a Saturday, and there was just no one there," he added.
Warner further shared his experience and said that they played on a football field in New Zealand.
"And we legitimately played on a football field. It was quite crazy, coming from Australia and then we're playing on a rugby league field, I was like 'what's going on here?' But I really enjoyed it," he added.
Warner recently announced that the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2024, which will be held in the West Indies and the USA, will mark his retirement from international cricket.
Before bidding farewell, Warner will participate in Australia's three-match T20I series against New Zealand. The series is scheduled to commence on February 21, with the second and third games taking place on February 23 and 25 respectively.
(With ANI inputs)
