David Warner has taken a strong swipe at Cricket Australia over what he says has been a lack of support, while backing himself to deliver in the Boxing Day Test and beyond.
The 36-year-old last month accused a review panel of trying to create a “public lynching” in reviewing his leadership ban handed down after the 2018 ball tampering saga. It resulted in him dropping his appeal, ending his hopes of leading his country.
Warner believes that Cricket Australia provided him with no support ahead of the two-match series against the West Indies as the news surrounding his review came to light.
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“Leading into the Perth Test my mental health probably wasn’t where I needed to be at to be 100 per cent,” Warner said in a press conference on Saturday.
“That was challenging, if I had it my way we would have had that all sorted, from the CA point of view I didn’t really have any support.
“My teammates and the staff in our team were absolutely amazing and my family and friends, they really got me through the period.”
Warner also explained he couldn’t believe the process was drawn on for 11 months after beginning his review in February.
“We reached out to them in February, we had no idea how it went on this far and only CA can answer that,” Warner said.
“And they will probably give you the same thing that they always give everyone else, they don’t really give an answer.”
Warner begun the South Africa series at the Gabba with scores of 0 and 3 and hasn’t scored a Test century since January 2020, averaging only 26.07 with the bat since the start of the pandemic.
Across the three Tests so far this summer, the veteran opener is yet to reach the half century mark, while his teammates have peeled off multiple centuries and double centuries.
Heavy criticism surrounding his form has surfaced, but Warner believes having his “back up against the wall” will spark a Test resurgence.
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“That young boy from housing commission in Matraville, growing up in housing commission really taught me how to fight hard and to achieve the goal you wanted,” Warner said.
“I am living every housing commission boy’s dream, I wanted to play cricket for Australia and I am doing that now, yeah my back is up against the wall but it is in my DNA to be competitive.
“And come out here and put a smile on my face and take on whatever opposition I am going to face, and I am standing here and I’m about to play my 100th Test match.
“I couldn’t be any prouder of me, my family for getting me here and my closest friends.”
While some pundits have called for the swashbuckling left-hander to retire, Warner still has a desire to take the field for Australia ahead of his 100th Test match.
“It was my childhood dream, I am not out here to not play, I love it, every day I get out of bed knowing I have a game the next day with a smile on my face, the same energy and enthusiasm,” Warner said.
“You ask any of the players in the change room who is the loudest, it’s me, so I love it, it is what I live for.”
Against South Africa Warner boasts an impressive record, averaging 48.2 across 25 innings with four hundreds and five half centuries.
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Warner only has a better Test average against Pakistan (83.52), New Zealand (67.56) and Bangladesh (62.75).
South Africa’s pace attack of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje cut it with the best pace quartets in the world.
However, Warner believes his years of facing Australia’s world class seamers in the nets will allow him to flourish against pure pace bowling.
“You look at the attacks I have faced over my career, I wake up every day going into the nets facing the best attack in the world,” Warner said.
“I’ve faced guys who bowl 145kmph every training session, so it’s not different for me.
“Am I scared going into those nets? 100 per cent I’m scared, going into those nets facing those guys over the last decade has been a challenge in itself.
“But going out there and knowing that I have put numbers on the board over some of the great attacks South Africa has produced, they stay with me when I’m out there.
“A lot of good things have happened to me when I have played against the South African attack.”
