“He’s probably the only one to have received a lot of criticism”

Even after six years of the infamous Sandpapergate scandal, David Warner feels targeted by a section of the cricket community. The left-hander claimed he was the only player who still received a lot of criticism, while others were protected differently.

Warner and Steve Smith, who led the team against South Africa in 2018, were banned from professional cricket for a year following the Sandpapergate saga. Both returned a year later against England and were greeted with loud boos. Over time, Smith led the national team again while Warner never got the chance despite discussions.

The 37-year-old added that he had absorbed all the criticism over the years but would not face it again. Warner also feels he has taken the pressure off some players and spoken out against the unfair treatment he received.

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“For me, it’s about moving forward. My back was always against the wall when I came back and I knew it. I have won my fair share during my career. Coming back since (his 12-month ban), I’m probably the only one who’s had a lot of criticism, whether it’s people who don’t like the Australian cricket team or people who don’t like me,” said Warner. as the Daily Mail says.

“I was always that person who managed to get by. OK, that’s fine if they want to do that, but I still feel like I’ve taken a lot of pressure off a lot of guys too and I think, understandably, I’ve been that person able to ‘absorb this. But we can only absorb (so much). For me, it’s great to come out knowing that I’m not going to get out of this again,” he added.

Warner will call time on his international career after the ongoing T20 World Cup. Although he is one of the legends of the game, he believes that the criticism will not stop and will continue after 20-30 years. However, he expects true cricket fans to remember him as a fierce hitter and not because of the scandal.

“I think it will be inevitable that when people talk about me in 20 or 30 years, there will still be that. There will always be this sandpaper scandal. But for me, if they are real cricket tragics and they love cricket, and my closest supporters, they will always see me as that cricketer.

“Someone who tried to make a difference.” Someone who tried to follow in the footsteps of the early openers before me and tried to score runs at a good rate and change Test cricket in some way. Be that person who moved from Twenty20 cricket to Test cricket – batting at No. 6 and then opening,” he concluded.

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