David Warner speaks publicly for the first time in months, but doesn’t say much
Suspended Australia batsman David Warner has shouldered arms to controversy during a rare media appearance as he serves his 12-month suspension over the ball-tampering scandal that rocked the cricket scene.
Key points:
- David Warner spoke in late March but has stayed pretty quiet since then
- Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith both detailed the Cape Town ball tampering in December interviews
- Warner will face Smith in the Bangladesh Premier League in two days' time
Warner, who was pinned as the main instigator of Sandpaper-gate by fellow suspended opening batsman Cameron Bancroft, fronted a media conference ahead of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), where he will captain the Sylhet Sixers.
While Bancroft and Steve Smith both made reference to the specifics of the Cape Town incident in their media outings last month, Warner said he preferred to focus on the positives of his year-long exile from professional cricket.
"Life has been good for me," Warner said of the past 10 months.
"I have been spending time with the family. I wouldn't be able to do that if I was sitting on the sidelines.
"It is about getting the best out of myself and growing as a human being. The most important thing was being a father and husband at home."
Warner and wife Candice have recently announced they are expecting a third child in 2019 — a year that will likely also see the 32-year-old return to the international fold, possibly as early as March.
The Aussies take on Pakistan in a one-day international series, before a busy summer in the northern hemisphere, which includes the 50-over World Cup and an Ashes Series.
But he is not getting ahead of himself.
"It is up to the selectors whether or not they want to pick me," he said.
"At the end of the day, all I can do is score runs in this tournament and the IPL, keep putting my hand up and making sure that I am the best person I can be."
Coincidentally, Warner's first opponent as he leads his new side in the BPL will be the Comilla Victorians, featuring his former national captain Smith, who also failed to diminish the role Warner played in the events that unfolded in Cape Town.
The pair have reportedly spoken very little since.
"I will just treat it as another game. It is not just taking on one player but taking on a team of 11 players," Warner said.
"It is about making sure that our bowlers know how to get Smith out, and then tackle the rest of the guys."
While Warner is keeping his cards close to his chest for now, only time will tell if we get to hear his side of the story some time in the future.
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ABC .net
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