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What a week for David Warner. It really is amazing what a few runs will do for your public perception.
It speaks volumes of the desperation currently lingering in Australian cricket how quickly he has been forgiven for his immaturity in the past six months.
However, Warner is one of only a handful of current Australian players with the ability to single-handedly win his country a Test match – the type of talent that simply cannot be wasted if the Ashes are to be regained.
The fact is: in 2013, Warner’s talent has been outmatched by his ego.
Warner’s employers, both Cricket Australia and Cricket NSW, have so far done a fantastic job in bringing their pint-sized opener back down to earth.
The severity of his sanctions have been carefully managed as to discourage him from further misdemeanour without distancing him from the playing group or the cricket field.
The much-publicised punching incident with Joe Root at a Birmingham bar during the Champions Trophy in June had many calling for Warner to be sent home.
Cricket Australia were quick to refute that this would be detrimental to his development as he would not have his regular coaching structure around him, nor would he be exposed to top level cricket.
Not to mention further fractures it could cause in the dressing room if and when he rejoined the playing group.
He was banned for the rest of the Champions Trophy and the first two Ashes Tests, giving him a chance to break back into the side for the final three Tests.
Warner was then sent to South Africa to join the Australia A tour with a view to rebuilding form. He promptly scored 193 and was called into the team for the third Ashes Test at Old Trafford.
Warner’s 138 runs at an average of 23 during those final three Tests did not swing the momentum of the Ashes as Cricket Australia had hoped, but they must be commended for putting him in the position to do so.
Holding Warner out of the 15-man ODI squad to remain in England was a clear message that the 26-year-old would not walk back into the Australian setup based on reputation.
At the naming of the squad, coach Darren Lehmann stated: “We just want more runs on the board. At the end of the day, he hasn’t made enough runs in this format of the game.”
Fast forward to early October, and Warner is hopelessly out of form and again to be reprimanded for his fractious behaviour.
This time he has brushed his new Sydney grade side, Randwick-Petersham, to go to the races and leave his teammates to field with ten players.
He lands before the Cricket NSW board with many calling for him to be sacked. The board take the same approach as Cricket Australia did with the Root incident, believing that Warner must play as much high-level cricket possible if he is to improve.
A one match suspended sentence was a clear ‘last chance’ warning from Cricket NSW, however allowed their opener to play the entire Ryobi Cup in a bid to do what the Australian coach asked of him: put runs on the board.
And that he has certainly done. Ryobi Cup scores of 139, 138 and 197 in the past week have showcased the match-winning ability he possesses, which is so crucial to Australia’s Ashes success.
Glimpses of his immaturity still shine through the cracks, such as attempting to reverse sweep a Peter Siddle yorker to be dismissed LBW against Victoria.
However, Warner is well aware he is on his last chance and has acknowledged his need to grow up.
An opening spot alongside Chris Rogers in the Ashes in now Warner’s to lose, and with this sort of momentum his impact could be series-defining.
That he has been well managed by his employers to allow such an opportunity should not go unnoticed.
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