South African fans abusing David Warner on his return will backfire on them, says Matthew Hayden

Aussie Test legend Matthew Hayden is adamant David Warner will be waiting for abuse from crowds on his first return to South Africa post-sandpapergate, and will thrive on it when it comes.

David Warner can expect a hostile reception from South Africa fans on his return there.

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Matthew Hayden believes South Africa will relentlessly provoke David Warner in his return series, but warned it will only serve to poke the bear.

Australia is bracing to re-enter the Bull-Ring in Johannesburg on Friday, with sandpaper villains Warner and Steve Smith expecting to cop it from the notoriously savage South African crowds.

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Hayden is a veteran of the hostile environment players confront in South Africa, one that famously tipped Merv Hughes over the edge, and more recently sparked England’s Ben Stokes’ into threatening a fan with physical violence.

David Warner can expect a hostile reception from South Africa fans on his return there.

Two years ago, Warner and Smith were mentally fried coming off an Ashes series, but this time they fly to South Africa for three Twenty20s and three one-dayers relatively fresh.

Hayden is adamant Warner will be waiting for the abuse and will thrive on it when it comes.

“The South Africans will bait and bait and bait and God love them for doing it because I think it will bring the best out of both those individuals, in particular, the Bull (Warner),” said Hayden.

Matthew Hayden was always up for the fight when visiting South Africa.

“He’s a really solid competitor. He was so impressive through his ban. He did not do a lot of talking, but he trained hard and you could see his energy.

“He was frothing at the bit.

“I can imagine he’ll be that same individual, with more energy than he had last time against them, and against England.

“I am backing him to do well and be a leader again of the batting group because that is the status he has now as leader of that batting team.

“It will be really challenging for them (Warner and Smith). I will imagine both those individuals will have learnt a lot from the past 18 months, both from an individual and team perspective.”

Hayden was part of one of the great one-day opening partnerships – his blockbusting union with Adam Gilchrist at the top of the order.

But the hulking Queenslander believes the current firm of Warner and captain Aaron Finch are destined to set the bar even higher.

“I think Warner and Finch will definitely beat Hayden and Gilchrist in that partnership,” said Hayden.

Hayden has backed Aaron Finch David Warner to set new standards for Aussie white ball openers.

“The way they go about their innings epitomises the modern game. They both have huge strike rates.”

Australia has recalled Matthew Wade, Mitchell Marsh and D’Arcy Short as finishers in their white ball teams, but Hayden says as it stands selectors are still searching for a genuine game-breaker in the middle-order.

“The problem is they are missing that x-factor of the era we played in like an Andrew Symonds who can come in and nail a team in the back end of a game,” he said.

“Australia will win easily against the majority of sides but your great teams like the Indias and Englands, you don’t need good players – you need great players.

“You need players like Michael Bevan or an Ian Harvey who can explore different avenues of the game.”