The sandpaper gate that involved Australia’s Test captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and Cameron Bancroft has already been much publicised and written about. There were various talks regarding how David Warner is hated by half the Australian team and similar questions were raised by the Australian press. However, Current Australian Captain Tim Paine has sharply ruled out such claims.
A Respected Australian journalist by the name Robert Craddock questioned whether David Warner could fit back into the fresh team under the leadership of newly appointed coach Justin Langer given “half the players can’t stand him” and don’t want him in the side.
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The Journalist added,”Langer wants mateship in the team and I don’t believe mateship and Warner are compatible. Because half the players can’t stand him, they contacted Cricket Australia saying they didn’t want to play with him again. Now, they should have no choice in that, it’s not their decision. But that’s the vibe. If (Langer) wants the cultural shift, how do you have cultural shift and Warner on the same team? That’s my question.”
The Australian Captain Tim Paine replied to these claims. He said, “I certainly like Crash Craddock’s writing and when he’s on TV I’m a fan of his. But I thought he was a little bit off the mark there and really unfair on David Warner as a person and as a cricketer.”
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Paine further added, “David is someone who’s certainly highly competitive on the field and sometimes that can rub people and oppositions up the wrong way. But within our team, he’s someone with that energy and competitiveness that we love playing with.”
Heaping praises on David being a team-man, Paine said,” They were disappointing comments and it’s not the way David is held within our team. There’s a side of David that people don’t know – he’s very loyal and really caring and a good team man to have around. Guys on the team get along well and David is a respected member of the team, he always has been. As long as I’ve been around the team he’s been really well-liked and really well received by his teammates.”
Tim Paine also made clear that as soon as the ban imposed on David Warner will end, he will be welcomed in the team straight away.
