The Aussies are coming! Australian cricket team set off for the UK

Australians leave for UK after batsman David Warner is fined for his Twitter outburst

Australia’s cricketers are on their way to England for this summer’s Ashes series.

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The party posed for pictures at Sydney airport before leaving on their flight to England.

Captain Michael Clarke and vice-captain Brad Haddin posed for pictures in the cockpit ahead of the eagerly awaited series.

Among the party heading for England is batsman David Warner, who has been hit with the maximum fine available after pleading guilty to breaching the Cricket Australia Code of Behaviour.

Warner posted unsavoury comments on Twitter towards journalists Robert Craddock and Malcolm Conn after taking exception to the former’s article over the Indian Premier League.

He was subsequently reported by Cricket Australia for breaching Rule 6: Unbecoming Behaviour and was fined 5,750 Australian dollars (£3,700), the maximum financial penalty for a first-time offender, at the hearing today.

The 26-year-old said: “In hindsight, clearly I let my frustrations get the better of me and posted some inappropriate tweets last weekend.

“While I disagreed with the story and my image being used alongside the story, I could have chosen my words better and I apologise for any offence that my language may have caused.

“I’ll continue to have honest conversations with all my followers and I will be mindful of the language I use in future.”

Warner became involved in a row with News Ltd journalists Craddock and Conn following criticism of his form and an article, which featured his image, on the dark underbelly of the IPL.

The exchange with Conn was sparked when the Sydney Telegraph writer tweeted: “You lose 4-0 in India, don’t make a run, and you want to be tickled on the tummy? Win the Ashes and get back to me.”

Warner replied: “Coming from you champion all you do is talk s*** as well. What about encouraging Aus players rather then bagging them.”

And Conn retorted: “Cricket is a real job? Please. Most people pay to play. Million dollar cricketers milking the IPL are hardly the best judges.”

A statement from Cricket Australia said Warner breached Rule 6 of its code of behaviour, which states that: “Players and officials must not at any time engage in behaviour unbecoming to a representative player or official that could (a) bring them or the game of cricket into disrepute or (b) be harmful to the interests of cricket...this rule applies at all times where the unbecoming behaviour involves the player being involved in public comment or comment to or in the media.”

Michael Clarke does not believe Warner’s Twitter row will harm the opener’s long-term captaincy ambitions.

The current skipper backed the left-hander to learn from the incident and go on to lead his country in the future.

“He’s apologised and made it very clear it was unacceptable,” Clarke said on Wednesday.

“I look forward to having Davey home and having him around the Australian cricket team.

“He’s a great man and I love playing cricket with him and I’m really confident that if he continues to grow as he has done over the past four or five years there’s no reason, in my opinion, why he hasn’t got the potential to captain Australia one day.”

Clarke will potentially come face-to-face with Craddock and Conn tomorrow after Cricket Australia also confirmed the 26-year-old would be available for a media opportunity at the Sydney Cricket Ground.