‘I will be able to coach but I can’t captain. I’m not sure what it is’ – David Warner speaks on ‘bizarre’ leadership ban

In a candid interview just weeks after concluding his illustrious Test cricket career, Australian cricket icon David Warner has broken his silence on the leadership ban that marked the twilight of his time on the field.

Warner, who bid farewell to the red-ball format with an emotional match against Pakistan in Sydney, did not hold back in expressing his discontent with the leadership restrictions imposed on him. 

“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. It’s very bizarre,” Warner said to Code Sports in his first extensive interview since retiring after the Sydney Test.

The ban, a fallout from the infamous ball-tampering incident in South Africa in 2018, prevented Warner from taking up any official leadership position within the team. The fiery opener criticised early figures in the hierarchy for endorsing his aggressive on-field demeanour, labelling it as an “attack dog” attitude. He expressed his frustration at being unable to captain, especially when his counterparts, Steve Smith and Cam Bancroft, have since resumed leadership roles within the team.

“Whether it’s good or bad, I’m sleeping easy, and they’re all thinking about me, so I don’t know what their wives or husbands feel like when they’ve gone to bed, and they’re thinking about me,” Warner nonchalantly responded to critics in the interview.

Warner, contemplating his post-career options, raised eyebrows by questioning the apparent distinction between coaching and captaining. He said, “What’s the difference between captaining and coaching? You’ve got more responsibility as a coach, wouldn’t you think so?” The 37-year-old found it perplexing that he could potentially coach but not captain, terming the situation “very bizarre.”

As he shifts his focus from playing Test cricket to exploring coaching opportunities and other roles, Warner is set to participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup and various T20 leagues, including the ongoing International League T20. Additionally, he has secured a commentary deal with Foxsport for the upcoming summer season.

Reflecting on his career, Warner admitted to having regrets about his confrontational playing style, which he believes was shaped by early encouragement. He said, “I felt like I was actually directed to be that person, to go out there and attack opposition players and get under their skin.”

I would have changed early doors; I wouldn’t have been that attack dog: Warner

Addressing controversies and criticism that often surrounded him, Warner displayed a nonchalant attitude, stating, “People can criticize me as much as they want. I don’t care. I literally do not care.”

Brushing off negativity, he emphasised that he remains unfazed and even finds excitement in the fact that people are spending their time thinking and talking about him. While his international career is not yet complete, the left-hander admitted he had regrets about how his behaviour shaped his career but revealed it had been encouraged.

‘I would have changed early doors; I wouldn’t have been that attack dog,’ Warner added.