David Warner doesn’t expect a friendly farewell on his final tour of New Zealand

David Warner is hoping for better behaviour from the New Zealand locals after a torrent of abuse last time he was there.

It’s been eight years since David Warner labelled New Zealand crowds “pretty vulgar” and the veteran opener isn’t expecting a friendly farewell on his final tour.

In 2016, the only time Warner has played Test cricket in New Zealand, the pugnacious batter declared he and his teammates had been targeted by home supporters with extremely personal attacks.

A fan was ejected from Hagley Oval in Christchurch for relentlessly abusing fast bowler Josh Hazlewood and Warner declared at the time while they expected fans to get stuck in to them “we don’t expect wake up and be hounded for six or seven hours”.

Now retired from Test and ODI cricket, Warner will play his final three games in New Zealand in the T20 series which starts on Wednesday and said he hadn’t forgotten what happened last time.

But he maintained it said more about then, and wouldn’t deter him from enjoying his last few games in Australian colours.

“I enjoy playing here,” Warner said in Wellington on Monday morning.

“It’s about coming out and trying to put my best foot forward, and score runs.

David Warner talks to media in New Zealand on his final tour there (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

“The crowd, yeah, they got personal, but if they have to get personal, that’s their character.

“I just go about my business. But that’s upon each individual, if that’s what they feel like they have to do, then so be it.

“If you want to pay your money to come and abuse people, you have to go back and lay in your own bed.

“We’re here to play the game of cricket that we love, enjoy and put bums on seats to keep the game going.”

Warner received warm appreciation in his final Test in Sydney in January, but a more muted response in his final T20 match in Perth, which was his last international game on home soil.

Playing the final three T20 internationals before the World Cup, which will be Warner’s swan song, he isn’t concerned about the likely reception he will get from local fans this time around.

“Over here, it’s always the harsh reality that we’re neighbours, in sport we like to beat each other,” he said.

“From that perspective, we’re going to be expecting the crowd to come at us as hard as they come.

“As we always say, it’s in one ear, out the other – if I actually hear anything.”

Blackcaps captain Mitchell Santner and Australia captain Mitchell Marsh © Copyright image by Marty Melville / www.photosport.nz

Warner is set to get another new opening partner in Travis Head for the three matches with fast bowler Spencer Johnson having been added to the Australian squad after an injury to all-rounder Aaron Hardie.

The two teams will be playing for the Chappell-Hadlee trophy which will now go to the winner of bilateral T20I series between Australia and New Zealand as well as ODI series.

Tour of New Zealand

February 21: First T20, Wellington, 5.10pm AEDT

February 23: Second T20, Auckland, 5.10pm AEDT

February 25: Third T20, Auckland, 11am AEDT