David Warner: A Born Leader

I HAVE KNOWN David (Dave) Warner well for over a decade now. The first meeting was in Chennai in February 2013 ahead of the India- Australia Test match, the first of a four-match series. It was Michael Clarke, then captain of Australia, who introduced Warner to me. Pleasant and a little fidgety, his passion for the game was the first thing that was noticeable. And since then, we have stayed connected and I have tracked his career as closely as one possibly can. Each time he has failed or there has been a controversy, we have come closer. I have tried to understand the fallibility of the man and appreciate him for his determination to leave a lasting legacy.

As I have said multiple times before, Dave Warner is not perfect. He has made many mistakes and has paid the price for each of them. Not captaining Australia, for example, will be something he will find hard to forget. And yet, he is loved by millions. His imperfection is what endears him. Makes him a mortal who can perform superhuman deeds with the bat and exude a kind of excellence few can. And yet one can identify with him. Try to be like him and follow a passion. Warner gives us a feel that even we can. That it is human to make mistakes and it is also human to overcome them and excel in one’s chosen domain. Warner is an everyday example of this, and it is for him that we can say imperfect is the new perfect.

Now that he is playing in his last Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in front of his home crowd, it is pertinent to ask: How will Warner be remembered in the annals of world cricket? Will we remember him for Sandpapergate scandal and the one-year suspension that followed or will he be remembered for the 111 Test matches and the 7,000 runs he has scored for Australia, and twice winning the world title in 2015 and 2023?

The controversies don’t define Dave Warner. The fightback does. He was cricket’s public enemy No 1 in 2018 after Sandpapergate. While it is impossible to accept that it was Warner and Cameron Bancroft who masterminded the whole thing while the others had no role, the truth is it was Warner who copped most of the blame. Steve Smith, by breaking down, had earned all the public sympathy while Warner, who did not cry while apologising, was perceived as arrogant. Winning back the trust of his fans and then becoming the sensation that he has in the last few years are what define him. Each day that he was left out, he worked the hardest. Away from the public glare, he prepared himself for the comeback. And then when he got an opportunity, he did not let it go. That’s what sport is all about. The resilience and the doggedness. The quest to be perfect on an imperfect day.

It was January 2019 and India was playing a Test series in Australia. Warner, still suspended, had messaged to ask if I was coming to cover the series. When I said yes, he suggested that he would pick me up from the airport and we would have dinner together. Nothing could be better and on landing I was pleasantly surprised to see a small crowd in front of the McDonald’s at Sydney airport. Most of the men were service boys and almost hidden in their midst, because of his short frame, was Dave Warner. Few could believe he was there and then each wanted a selfie. Warner, much to my surprise, obliged everyone with a smile. Seeing my expression, he said something I haven’t forgotten. “These are the fans who will stay with you. They will come to the SCG to watch you bat and cheer for you. Celebrate if you score a 100. Scream as if they have scored the runs. Have a drink if you have won the game. All that they want is a selfie. Just try and oblige them as much as you can. Not always is it possible. But when it is, the least we can do is make them happy,” he said.

Yes, we did have dinner thereafter and Warner outlined how he had prepared for the comeback. “When you are dropped from the team you have loved the most for years, it hurts. At the same time there are no complaints, mate. We play to entertain. We play to push for excellence. I can tell you in all honesty that all this time I was working the hardest and training the hardest I ever did. Not a single day did I miss. I was batting extremely well in the nets and it is only a matter of time before it all starts to work out,” he said.

He may have been down, but he clearly wasn’t out. Training in the wilderness, he was preparing himself for the challenge. He was aware that his detractors would want him to fail. Drag him down again. And therein was his opportunity. To defy the odds and have the last laugh. He did, and in the next few years played some of his best innings.

Even in retirement he has sought perfection. He is playing the last Test at his home ground and has called it a day in 50-over cricket when he has just won a World Cup and was Australia’s highest scorer in the tournament. He leaves when he can walk into any white ball side. And that’s Warner. He will own the decision, good or bad. By saying that he is leaving the door open for a Champions Trophy comeback, he has pushed his detractors. Provoked them one more time. But then he knows that he is in control—111 Tests and 7,000 ODI runs can’t be taken away from him. Contracts in cash-rich T20 leagues across the world are waiting for him and in the next few years, Warner will make millions. The truth is, no one can grudge him this. Having worked his way up from a relatively modest background, it is all his doing. Each brickbat thrown has been converted into a few hundred runs and he now leaves a trail of achievements that few can aspire to match in the coming decade.

A leader in the real sense of the term, he led every team he played for without being captain. That’s what sets him apart. Despite all the controversies, he deserves the farewell he is getting.

Happy retirement, mate.

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