TORONTO: Australia opener out for 1 on return to cricket, but is “excited” to be back playing, reported ICC.
David Warner’s return to cricket since the ball-tampering scandal lasted all of two balls as he was bowled by Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga for 1 in their Global T20 Canada match on Friday, 29 June.
Warner had a better time on the field for Winnipeg Hawks, however, taking a good catch to dismiss Dwayne Smith and then pulling off a run-out later in the match.
He finished on the winning side as Winnipeg, led by fifties from Ben McDermott and Darren Bravo posted 203/4 against Montreal Tigers, before Dwayne Bravo and Junaid Siddiqui, the Canada leg-spinner, took three wickets each to settle a 48-run win.
It was the Australian opener’s first taste of competitive cricket since he, captain Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft were embroiled in the ball-tampering scandal at the Newlands Test and were slapped with bans – 12 months for the seniors and nine for Bancroft. While they can’t turn out for Australia or play state cricket, they have been encouraged to stay in touch with the game through grade cricket and T20 leagues such as this one in Canada.
Smith on his return the previous day had made 61, and Warner admitted it would have been nice to “get more than one run”. Yet, he was happy and “grateful” to be out there playing again.
“It’s good to be on the field, a smile on my face, and a bunch of guys I haven’t played much cricket with. These tournaments are exciting,” he said.
“[The tournament is about] getting back into the rhythm of cricket again, making sure I’m putting my best foot forward in this tournament, making sure I’m putting 100 per cent effort all the time, giving advice to the guys who don’t get an opportunity to play on a big stage, and just to compete.
“It’s been a long three months for myself, thinking I won’t be here [playing cricket]. It’s a good opportunity. I’m excited.”
Warner admitted that the months since March had been difficult for him and his family, and took responsibility again for his actions.
“But I’m an adult, I’m big, strong, I’ll move forward and keep continuing to move forward and making sure I’m doing the right things at the right times to keep playing the best cricket I can.”
The 12 months out of the game would do him good, he said. “There were a lot of mental scars after the Ashes and that probably saw my form [dip] and maybe [for] Steve as well in the one-day series against England. It takes a lot out of you, and moving onto South Africa and what happened, it was really tough. We’re responsible for that and we’re moving on.
“The bubble we’ve been in for the last six or seven years, you need the time out and I think these 12 months are going to be a good reflection upon myself as a person and a character, as a dad and a family man. The last 12 weeks have been tough, but it’s enabled me to spend a lot of time with my family, and that’s something I’ll always cherish every day.”
