You're being a softie, David Warner tells Stuart Broad

David Warner today raised the stakes before the start of the Ashes by calling Stuart Broad a “sook” — Australian slang for “soft”.

The batsman (above) appeared to be referring to a story that has been flatly denied by Broad and England — that the tourists had asked for two fans to be ejected for taunting the bowler during last week’s tour match in Sydney.

England insist the story has no basis but for Broad, whose failure to walk during last summer’s Test at Trent Bridge has made him a target for the Aussie crowds, it was a possible sign of things to come during the series.

“He is already complaining and acting like a sook so, yes, he can expect a lot,” said Warner, himself in hot water last June for punching England batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar.

Broad has used Twitter to try to set the record straight regarding the alleged incident, becoming involved in an exchange with a Sydney-based radio broadcaster.

Warner’s clash with Root meant he was on the receiving end from home supporters during the Ashes in England and the batsman advised Broad simply to laugh along with the abuse.

He added: “Every time they said something to me I’d entertain the crowd and they actually enjoyed it. They want you to enjoy it and embrace it. Nobody means anything personally.”