Warner’s waiting game

Australia’s David Warner celebrates his double ton v South Africa at the MCG yesterday. Pic/Getty Images

When David Warner first burst onto the scene as a quintessential T20 bash merchant, even his own ego might never have predicted a 100-Test career. Initially written off as a one-dimensional batsman who didn't have the technique and patience to prosper in the longer format, he is the poster-child for the successful transition from T20 to Test cricket when conventional wisdom suggested the reverse was more likely. Since then, we have seen the likes of Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant who have blazed similar trails - any bets on them being able to get to even 50 Tests? Suryakumar Yadav is another to keep an eye on.

Unmatched versatility

Early in Warner's career, he showed his versatility on a spicy Hobart pitch when he was the only batsman to defy NZ. That was the seminal moment of his Test career, the realisation that he had the temperament to "bat ugly" when the occasion demanded. Ironically, as his career wanes, it might be this ghost he needs to re-awaken if he is to save himself much past this season. As his reflexes slow, does he have it in him to rein in his attacking instincts and play the waiting game?

When it comes to exhuming corpses buried in Cape Town, Warner has indeed played the waiting game, almost to perfection. The last few weeks have seen the cracks beginning to open, the fault lines deepening, his sense of injustice eating away at him. The last straw may well have been seeing Steve Smith captaining Australia again - perhaps it was no coincidence that both him and his manager finally hinted at telling his side of the story as the blazer-clad Smith walked out to toss the coin.

More revelations to come?

His manager cryptically alluded to a tell-all book or interview that threatens to unlock secrets that Cricket Australia hoped would be locked away forever. That Warner chose to walk away from the process that could have led to his exoneration from the lifetime captaincy ban might have everything to do with the publisher of the book reminding him that if he airs all the dirty linen in a tribunal (for free), the dollar value of his end-of-career blockbuster interview will be worth nothing!
When CA chose to bury the findings of what really happened in Cape Town, they must surely have known that it would come back to haunt them at some point. Most seasoned cricket followers raise their eyebrows when asked if they think Sandpapergate was solely down to Warner, Smith and the hapless Cameron Bancroft. Of course there is the possibility that it might be true but it then begs the question; if you have nothing to hide….

Most Australians are under no illusions that Warner was ever a saint, a shrinking violet, an entirely innocent man who was egregiously wronged. Warner himself has not attempted to go down that futile path. He is merely aggrieved that he has been made out to be the scapegoat.

A scorpion wants to cross a river but cannot swim, so it asks a frog to carry it across. The frog hesitates, afraid that the scorpion might sting it, but the scorpion promises not to, pointing out that it would drown if it killed the frog in the middle of the river. The frog is swayed by this argument and agrees. Midstream, the scorpion stings the frog anyway, dooming them both. The dying frog asks the scorpion why it stung despite knowing the consequence, to which the scorpion replies: "I am sorry, but I couldn't resist the urge. It's in my nature."

This fable may accurately describe the Warner v Cricket Australia relationship but the question is… who is the frog and who is the scorpion?

We may have to wait for that answer when Warner retires. He may refuse to sink alone!

Also Read: David Warner slams CA for lack of support

The writer is a Brisbane-based former first-class cricketer