David Warner has the mental strength and determination to perform well when he has his back to the ball. David Warner let his bat do the talking with a classy 164 in 211 balls in the 1st Test against Pakistan at Perth a few days back.
Former Australian lethal fast bowler Mitchell Johnson had launched a scathing attack against David Warner on his inclusion in the Test squad after an indifferent performance with the red-ball in 2023. Some reports state that Mitchell Johnson & David Warner have some personal difference due to which there was a verbal spat.
David Warner shuts up criticism with his bat- Aaron Finch.
David Warner has repeatedly faced criticism for his place on the Australian cricket team. The cricket world was deeply divided after he became a part of the Australian batting lineup after the infamous sandpaper scandal in 2018. It had led to a ban on his participation for a year, but he was brought into the team after a few months.
Australian cricket faced a crisis after the sandpaper scandal banned compatriot Steven Smith and Cameron Bancroft. However, Smith was inducted into the playing XI after Australia went through a horrible patch of poor performances in 2019.
Many former Australian cricketers had been highly critical of the move from the Australian Cricket Board, stating that it undermined the ethics of cricket. David Warmer has always expressed remorse and shame for his conduct in the ball-tampering incident.
His performance had been lackluster in 2023, scoring 529 runs in 18 innings at an average of 29. At 37, he is in the twilight of his career and a surprise inclusion against Pakistan, considering his Test average is 44.
He proved his critics wrong once again and had the last laugh. One can make the mistake of undermining David Warner only to prove his detractors wrong every time.
Farewell Series
The ongoing series against Pakistan is his last. One can be sure that he will bow out with his head held high, leaving an imprint on Australian cricket that will be difficult to emulate.
“You’d think after 15 years they’d know” – Aaron Finch reveals David Warner’s hilarious text message on a podcast with Grade Cricketer after century in 1st Test vs Pakistan.