Warner chimes in on Stokes

Australia vice-captain David Warner has added his two cents to the ongoing discussion about Ben Stokes’ alleged involvement in a street brawl in Bristol last month.

Warner feels that he was suspended for an offence of far less severity when he was disciplined for attempting to punch Joe Root in a bar in 2013.

The ECB and Stokes himself have remained mum on the issue and should only break their silence once a police investigation is complete.

Warner told reporters in Sydney: “I did do my time. It was a lot less than what we’ve seen on that footage, that’s for sure.

“It’s up to them what they want to do – how they punish him [Stokes] and first of all it’s up to the police. Obviously with their investigation findings, to see what happens there. I think everyone in the world is waiting to see what happens there and what the outcome is.

“I had to deal with the situation that I was dealt with. Does Cricket Australia regret that or not? I don’t know. I just copped it on the chin and moved forward. One thing they didn’t have was video footage, I’d still like to know where that is.”

Since that incident Warner has turned his life and career around, something he largely credits his wife Candice Falzon for but he saw the Root incident as a turning point in his life.

Warner added: “Each individual has their ups and downs – and that was my turning point.

“I can’t really speak about, if it didn’t happen, what would have happened and where would I be. For me it was one where I really turned the corner, knuckled down and worked my backside off to get where I was.

“I am fortunate enough that my wife came into my life at that time and really got me into a routine. What happened, happened, I dealt with the situation as it was dealt, copped it on the chin and moved on.”

Warner has issued a warning to the English saying that he waon’t be afraid to get involved with some verbal sparring when the Ashes gets underway.

ALSO READ: Smith doesn’t condone Stokes’ behaviour

He went on: “I’ll be doing everything I can to make sure that when we’re out there, we’ve got a lot of energy and lot of buzz.

“Whether that’s being vocal or with my intent batting and in the field. When it comes to the Ashes, it’s a massive thing for us. Given what happened in India, given the IPL and county cricket. Everyone’s mates, we are mates, but sometimes you have to really try and work a way out to actually build some kind of – I used the word ‘hatred’ the other day. But some dislike, make things a little bit uncomfortable for blokes when they’re out there.

“I think that’s something that has sort of fallen out from our game, with bowlers not being able to stare at batters when they bowl a good ball. That little stuff is sort of slowly being taken out of the game. I love it as a batsman. If a bowler bowls a bouncer or I play and miss, and he looks at me – and not swears at me – but gives me a little bit of an earful or something then it gets you going.  It’s exciting, people want to see that. I think that is missing a little bit from the game now. Obviously we can’t overstep the mark, but we just have to be cautious because sometimes the ICC and umpires take action over little things you do on the field.

“A big one is stump mic. You can hear the guys from fine leg saying stuff, so it’s very hard to actually say things these days. Because it gets picked up everywhere, you look at the stuff that happened with Michael Clarke. People turn around and go ‘Woah, I wouldn’t have expected that to happen on a cricket field,’ but that’s the aggression that happens. That shouldn’t have been put out there. But when you’re on the field, these little things can happen and it gets you going.”

 

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