Cricket
3 months ago
“Palpably obvious that more people knew”: Warner’s sandpaper comments cause more angst
By Seb Mottram
Gerard Whateley believes David Warner pulled the wrong rein when revisiting Sandpapergate in one of his final interviews in national colours, with Robert Craddock adding the veteran's quotes made Cricket Australia “very, very concerned”.
Speaking before Australia’s eventual T20 World Cup win over Bangladesh in the Super 8 stage, Warner – who will retire at the conclusion of the World Cup – went back six years in history.
“Coming back since 2018 I’ve probably ... been the only one that’s ever copped a lot of flak,” Warner told cricket.com.au.
“Whether it’s people who don’t like the Australian cricket team or don’t like me, I’ve always been that person who has copped it.
“It’s fine if they want to do that, but I always feel like I’ve taken a lot of pressure off a lot of guys as well and I think understandably I’ve been that person to be able to absorb that.
“But one can only absorb (so much). For me, it’s great to go out knowing I’m not going to cop it anymore.”
Warner was banned from representing Australia for a year and also stripped of leadership privileges for life. Steve Smith (one-year ban) and Cameron Bancroft (nine months) were also outed as a result, although Warner was painted as the orchestrator of one of Australian cricket’s biggest scandals.
The 37-year-old will retire one of the greatest all-format players for Australia and has already signed a book deal to be released in the coming years.
“I’m so fascinated by how much water he lets out of the dam,” Craddock said on SEN’s Whateley.
“It’s palpably obvious that more people knew about the sandpaper than those who were convicted, Bancroft, Smith and Warner.”
On Warner’s comments, Gerard Whateley posed the question: “It’s irking me and has been ever since last week. Why would David Warner revisit sandpaper at the Super 8 stage of the World Cup? Why would he brandish that in front of teammates with the unsung message that 'I’ve been covering for you…'?”
The veteran broadcaster and SEN chief sports caller said he believed Warner’s comments were a bad look.
“He shouldn’t have done it at the Super 8 stage of a World Cup. I can't imagine that that wasn’t unsettling within the team setup and it was just such a brandish (nature) of it… there’s plenty of time post-career, you’ve got one more week to go,” Whateley added.
“You wanted to be part of this campaign, the driving force behind it, let’s see it to fruition without unsettling (the team). It was a weird thing to do mid-campaign, for me.”
Warner has scored two 50s in the World Cup but fell for just three in the weekend’s loss to Afghanistan that leaves the Aussies teetering on an early exit.
A loss to India on Tuesday morning (AEST) would likely see Mitch Marsh’s side heading to the airport.
How the Aussies galvanise in light of the embarrassing defeat to Afghanistan and Warner’s comments is yet to be seen, but Craddock added the touring camp was rocked by Warner’s initial interview.
“I know Cricket Australia staff were very, very concerned about the headlines on the story… so you know there’s been a lot of chatter in camp,” Craddock said.
“The full Sandpapergate story has never really come out. They only interviewed three players… when you leave untied threads, you are always a chance that history will catch up with you.”
The Aussies meet India from 12:30am Tuesday morning (AEST) in a clash that could be Warner’s last for Australia.
