Dear David Warner,
I am writing to you today after I saw that you have offered to buy any of your doubters, any of your naysayers, any of your critics a beer. Now I’ll be honest with you Mr Warner, I fit that description.
I am a naysayer, I have been very critical of you and, to be honest, I like beer. So, my hand is up, I’ll take you up on your offer of a beer and then buy you one as well. I’d love to do this, because not only am I all those things that you described and like beer, but I also love cricket. I think we would have a lot to talk about.
I’d ask you about your family. I have a young family myself and have nothing but respect for the way that you protect and provide for yours. The way you have worked so hard to break the cycle of government housing to government housing that no doubt grabbed so many that you grew up with. You’ve ensured, through hard work, that your girls will have doors opened for them rather than closed and I admire that. I’d love to swap some stories.
Then I’d love to talk cricket with you. I’d love to talk about some of your greatest innings and some your greatest victories. The breakout innings that made Cam White’s jaw drop. The battles with Dale Steyn and the ODI hundreds that you made, I’d love to talk about them.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on cricket and batting, I’d just find that fascinating. Some of the shots you have played in your career, some of the innings that you’ve completed, have just be extraordinary and I respect that.
Then, however, as I am sure you would expect, I’d have to talk to you about Cape Town. Just the fact that I could write the location rather than the event and so many people would know what I was on about should really show the gravity of what happened.
I’d need to ask you so many things about Cape Town. You said in the media this week that you felt you could turn my opinion over a beer. I fear we would need several for you to have such an effect when we were talking about that day in South Africa.
My first question would be why? Why did you feel the need to orchestrate such a blatant contravening of the rules of cricket?
(Photo by EJ Langer/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
What was going on behind closed doors, that you felt the need to take this line of action? To not only come up with the idea but to then approach the greenhorn in the side to carry out the act because you felt too many eyes were on you, is hard to understand. I’d love for you to explain that to me. Why?
I’d then not so much as ask a question but make a point. That point being that Cape Town broke something in Australian cricket. I remember exactly where I was when Cameron Bancroft got caught on the ground. I’m 45 and also remember exactly where I was when Princess Diana died and when the first plane hit the towers. This is where I held and still hold what happened.
This team that I had loved for so long, that so many Australians would have loved to have been part of, had cheated and we were all rightly aghast. They were aghast because up until them the side was something that so many were proud to be proud of. My point would be that the far-reaching effects of Cape Town were how it took such gloss of something that so many had loved for so long.
I know that many others have been done for similar things over the years. Afridi back in the day with his apple act, Faf du Plessis with the lolly and maybe with the zip on his pants, Michael Atherton with some sand. So, it could be argued that what you guys did wasn’t that bad. It was though, David. With respect it was, for I don’t really care what the other guys did. I hold my sporting heroes to a higher standard.
I’d love to have a beer with you, Bull. I’d love to hear all the stories about the cricket, about the tours and about how your family is doing. I’d love to talk tactics and bat speed and how good Steyn really was.
Before we finished though we’d have to talk about Cape Town, I’d love to hear your side of events and try and understand more than I do right now. We just might need more than one beer is all.
Yours sincerely,
Craig Gmeiner
NSWelshman
Roar Rookie
Mate he's just another know it all who knows nothing about that day in South Africa.
NSWelshman
Roar Rookie
Here we go, another Warner basher who thinks he knows the intricacies of what happened that day in South Africa. An expert behind a keyboard who actually knows jack$hit what eventuated & only knows what he read in the media. Now suddenly wants to have a beer & discuss it like he's earnt that right. Like I said, Warner would probably laugh at you & any of your questions, knowing you have zero inkling of the so called 'worst chapters in Australian cricket'......please lol.
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
Just found the ACA release of March 29 2018, the union was right in many respects: Steve Smith, Dave Warner and Cameron Bancroft made very serious mistakes in South Africa. It is right that these mistakes are sanctioned, and that must occur in a fair and proper way. The national game we all love must always demonstrate standards and behaviours consistent with both the rules, and the spirit, of cricket. And the game must be supported by rigorous and fair processes. There are a number of glaring and clear anomalies in the process to date which causes the ACA to query the severity and proportionality of the proposed sanctions. These are: The grading and sanctions proposed are considerably higher than the ICC's grading and sanctions; The disproportionality between the proposed sanctions and those previously handed down in world cricket for 'changing the condition of the ball' - including by Captains of international teams applying artificial substances; The activation of CA's Board as a deliberative body on the proposed sanctions; That public statements by CA to date have not referenced consideration of contextual factors including the environment in South Africa during the series and the impacts on individual players; The rush to place players before the world's media last Saturday night without the benefit of considered and coherent advice. The ACA continues to provide welfare and legal support to all players. This welfare support will be critical at a time where the network and environment of each of the three players must play an active role in their rehabilitation. All Australians would understand the right of the players to receive advice from their advisers, peers and family and the time necessary to ensure the sanctions are fair and proportional. The ACA has called for the proposed cultural review to be fully independent and to consider all relevant factors and context surrounding these acts. The examination must also extend to CA's response and process following Saturday's events.
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
and as we "know" the ending, I am doing a Christopher Nolan and reading the chapters in reverse order. It's compelling!
Gibbo
Roar Pro
I still have plenty of friends who refuse to follow the Australian cricket team until Warner, Smith and Bancroft are gone from the scene and until Cummins is no longer captain. I guess they'll be waiting a long time! Plenty of people that I've discussed Warner with never wanted him representing them on the highest stage again, so I don't think it's just a "significant minority". Agree, though, that much of the commentary was over the top initially especially the comments from the King of Confected Outrage, Malcolm Turnbull.
Gibbo
Roar Pro
Thanks, Craig. You've encapsulated most of what I wanted to ask him as well. I'd have the same questions around Cape Town and I hold to the gravity of that situation as well.
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
To the side am finally reading the Lemon, which is quite the sequel to Brettig’s fantastic Whitewash to Whitewash. The skewering of the establishment is quite precise One thing I don’t remember being aware of in all of the denial of a cultural problem was that the Cape Town selection panel involved someone who took money from bookies, another who ordered his brother to bowl underarm, another who was done for racial abuse and another who took the Rebel Rand. Nice….
Ben Pobjie
Expert
I would love it if Davey took you up on it. Though I fear you may have to contact him more directly than a Roar article.
The Bush
Roar Guru
The overreaction was the result of the 'lies' Australian players, fans and administrators had been telling themselves for years, which was that we were the only non-cheats that didn't do this, which was clearly not true. This 'necessitated' the administration coming down hard on the players, both for the event and for the lies that followed. I don't think such a harsh punishment was needed. I agree that it really should have been more like "x" number of games above and beyond the ICC ban. Obviously Smith still needed to be stripped of the captaincy and I didn't have a problem with Warner's leadership ban either. But when you've created such a false reality, a light punishment in response would have seen the whole house of cards fall down.
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
I met Mike Hussey in a airport lounge once. He is insufferably dull tbh. That's not to say he isn't a nice person, he is an extremely nice and polite individual, but he's just quite boring.
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
And yet you fail to mention that Warner was first calling QdK's sister a bushpig from first slip for an hour. Warner started it. If you choose to bring family into it, you have to cop what then comes back. Spiteful series all round.
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
https://www.cricket.com.au/integrity/rules-and-regulations you can find the Code here. obviously not the one that applied in 2017-18. presumably the Ethics Review led to changes...?
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
what about the questions to do with the match officials? not sure what income has to do with it BTW. the reasons for those provisions would be pretty obvious given the work those professionals do.
Gilberto
Roar Rookie
I don't have the code in front of me. I would be pretty certain the ECB code would be similar and I am absolutely sure that other workplaces have it. All doctors, lawyers, pharmacists etc operate under a professional code of conduct with punishments for not volunteering information. Most of them whilst earning less then Davey
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
I did the same, only I remember my session. Couldn't get over how short he was. I saw him decades before playing cricket and thought he was really tall. A really nice guy to chat with.
Boomshanka
Roar Rookie
Had a beer (s) with Dougie many years ago (at least I was told I did).
Craig Gmeiner
Roar Rookie
Shire, a conversation not had enough
Craig Gmeiner
Roar Rookie
Jammel, with respect aren’t we all Sort of keyboard warriors on here in a way?
Craig Gmeiner
Roar Rookie
Big Baz is it not a bit hypocritical to attack keyboard warriors while being a member of a group like this ????
Craig Gmeiner
Roar Rookie
Yeah ok that’s fair. My tendency for hyperbole getting me in trouble. Not the first time.