David Warner has laid down a marker for Australia’s upcoming Test series against New Zealand, calling out Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum for comments he made about Australia’s on-field behaviour.

Two days out from the first of a three-Test series at the Gabba, Warner said McCullum, who was vocally critical of both Australian captain Steve Smith and Warner himself, was in no position to pass judgement on an Ashes series.

“I don’t quite understand how a current cricket captain decides to play this brand of cricket on the field, these Mr Nice Guys, and then all of a sudden think he can comment on an Ashes series,” Warner said.

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“One, he’s never played in an Ashes series, and two he doesn’t know what it’s like to play an Ashes series. He should actually just watch the game and try to work out what they have to do to try and beat us instead of commenting on it.

“That’s something I found a bit weird at the time. But at the end of the day, he wanted to do that, and obviously he got paid for it.”

Brendon McCullum hasn’t escaped the wrath of Warner. Photo: Getty

Much has been made of the contrasting styles of the Australian and New Zealand teams, with the visitors actively positioning themselves as the good guys of world cricket, upholding the fabled “spirit of cricket” at all times.

But Warner insists the perceived battle between cricketing good and evil will do little to deter Australia, whose “win at all costs” mentality has made few friends from travelling teams in recent years.

“At the end of the day, you’re not playing for the spirit of cricket award, you’re playing for a series,” he said.

“For us, our goal is to win the series and go on to become number one in all formats. And we’re always going to fight for that, we’re going to try our best and work as hard as we can to become number one in all formats.

“At the end of the day, we try not to cross that line. A couple of times we might have headbutted it, and a couple of times we might have crossed it, but we’ve got to try to win every game that’s possible.”

Warner part of old guard as new look Australian team forms

With the vice captaincy and 43 Tests under his belt, Warner is unquestionably a leader of a team rebuilding after the retirements of a handful of crucial figures.

Having spent the past two summers sharing an opening position with Chris Rogers, Warner will now be joined at the crease by Queenslander Joe Burns, who has played only two Tests and none as an opener.

Warner admits it could take time for the new pairing to create the sort of rapport crucial for any successful opening partnership, but says work is being put in behind the scenes to build an understanding of each other’s games.

“It’s good to understand a player of his quality, he’s got a very good temperament,” Warner said.

“He likes to play similar to me – to go after the deliveries – but he’s also very patient as well. So that’s one thing that I have to do, understand his game and how he has to get off strike.

David Warner is now vice captain of the Australian team, and one of its most experienced figures. Photo: Getty

“We bat together in the nets, we train together in the nets, we work in partnerships together in the nets, and we always communicate in the nets.

“And that’s one good thing that I think we’ve done in the last 12 months at training – batting with each other in the nets to identify how each other plays.”

Warner was also quick to welcome Usman Khawaja – a player Warner says he “grew up with” – back into the fold after an absence of more than two years from the Test team.

It will be Khawaja’s third real crack at Test cricket, and Warner has backed his former New South Wales team-mate to finally make his talent count.

“I think other people need to realise the type of player he is and the type of player he can be,” Warner said.

“Yes, it is time for him to step and show what he really can do and what he’s capable of, because we know what he is capable of.

“But it’s about him now, on this stage with the different class of Test cricket, to show what he is capable of, and I definitely think he’s got the game to do it.

“He’s got the patience, he leaves very well outside off, and when he gets in he does cash in.”

-ABC