SRH dropping David Warner during IPL 2021 was not a 'cricket' decision - Brad Haddin

Warner was sacked as SRH captain and later dropped from the playing XI.

David Warner waves the SRH flag | BCCI/IPL

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) assistant coach Brad Haddin has opened up on David Warner being left out from the playing XI for most of the UAE-leg of Indian Premier League (IPL 2021).

Warner was fired as SRH captain and replaced by Kane Williamson after the first six games in India and then left out from the XI for a game, before the season was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns as bio-bubbles were breached.

When the league resumed in UAE in September, Warner played the first two games but could only score two runs and he was left out from the team for rest of the season. SRH eventually finished last on the points table.

READ ALSO: Candice Warner takes a dig at critics after David Warner gets Player of the Tournament award

Haddin has now said the reason wasn't a cricketing one and the circumstances were out of control of even the coaching staff.

"I tell you what it was not a cricket decision that he was not playing for SunRisers Hyderabad. I think the one thing you have to realise with David is that he was not out of form, he was out of match practice. They had a long break, he did not go to Bangladesh or West Indies. But he turned up in really good headspace. He was hitting the ball well, circumstances were out of our control, even the coaching staff," said Haddin on the Grade Cricketers Podcast.

"But it was not because he was out of form. All he needed was some match time, he was hitting the ball well. He just needed to spend some time in the middle to get the rhythm again. As the tournament went on, you have seen his class. He got a bit of rhythm back into his game and he was good to watch," he added.

Warner was named the Player-of-the-Tournament after helping Australia win the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021. He scored 289 runs at a strike-rate of almost 147 and played crucial knocks for the team as they clinched the title for the first time defeating New Zealand in the final.

(With ANI inputs)

 
 

By Saurabh Malhotra - 15 Nov, 2021

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