David Warner regrets having an aggressive nature in his early playing days
Australia's David Warner, who recently retired from Tests and ODIs for Australia, said he regrets having an aggressive nature in his early playing days. Warner finished his Test career with 8786 runs at an average of 44.59, including 26 Test hundreds and 37 fifties, and won the ICC World Test Championship 2023 title.
The left-handed batter also made 6932 runs at an average of 45.3, with 22 ODI hundreds and 33 fifties, including winning the Men’s ODI World Cup titles in 2015 and 2023. "I would have changed early doors, I wouldn't have been that 'attack dog'. If IPL came around earlier, in my mind I found that the more I get to know people, the more I wouldn't actually go at someone.
"And I felt like I was actually directed to be that person, to go out there and attack opposition players and get under their skin. Yeah it made me play better because they came at me, but it wasn't what I've always set out to do.
"I think just because that was me growing up and being attacked verbally, playing grade cricket, that's all you knew growing up. What you play around and what you play in teams with, if people are going against you, you just think it's acceptable to do that.
"So that was almost like the role that I was encouraged to take up. And that's probably one thing that I reckon I would speak up and change in my career, definitely," said Warner to Code Sports.
The left-handed batter also spoke out about the leadership ban he was handed for a lifetime after the 2018 sandpaper scandal in Cape Town, which he says was confusing for him. “What's the difference between captaining and coaching? You've got more responsibility as a coach, wouldn't you think so?”
"I don't know, I'm not sure, I don't know how to answer. It's been five years and I still don't know how to answer the question. It's just something that's hard to get my head around. Apparently, I will be able to coach if allowed to in Australia.
"But I can't captain. So yeah, I'm not sure what it is. It's under contract with Australia. It's a leadership position, so I'm not sure, I just don't know, very bizarre," he added.
Warner is currently in the UAE, turning out for Dubai Capitals in the second season of ILT20. He is also expected to be in Australia’s T20I squad for the home series against two-time Men’s T20 World Cup winners West Indies next month.