David Warner responds to viral PSL incident with Moeen Ali

LAHORE: Karachi Kings captain David Warner has broken his silence after a viral video sparked speculation of a heated exchange with team-mate Moeen Ali during their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash against RawalPindiz on Thursday at the Gaddafi stadium.

The widely shared clip, posted on the social media platform X, appeared to show an animated Warner walking towards Moeen before Karachi’s head of strategy and team director Haider Azhar, stepped in and guided him away.

The footage led to claims of tension within the Karachi camp, with fans suggesting an on-field disagreement between the two senior players.

However, Warner dismissed the rumours and clarified the situation in a reply to one of the posts.

"Calm down, mate. You have zero context. The 🤡 our manager always wants to shake hands first. Has nothing to do with Mo – it’s called team banter," Warner wrote on X.

Azhar also rejected the speculation, backing his captain’s statement.

"Not true! Both of them were making fun of me!" he said.

The Kings let their performance do the talking as they secured a five-wicket victory over RawalPindiz. Chasing a target of 198, they completed the run chase with four balls to spare.

Warner led from the front with a composed half-century that set the tone at the top of the order.

Azam Khan then took control of the chase with a match-winning knock of 74 off just 34 balls, hitting six sixes and six fours to keep the required run rate in check.

Meanwhile, another video of the former Australian batter has been circulating online, with captions suggesting he was laughing at what was described as bizarre fielding from RawalPindiz players during the same match. Warner was seen smiling, which drew some backlash.

The left-handed batter addressed recent social media speculation regarding his reaction during the match. Clarifying the situation, he stated that his behavior had been misinterpreted.

"Incorrect – I was not laughing at the drop catch. Let’s be clear on one thing. When a camera pans to a player, don’t insinuate anything, please. Just watch cricket and enjoy it for what it is. Thanks," he wrote.