Veteran Australia batsmen David Warner grabbed the headlines in 2018 for his role in the ball-tampering plot during Cape Town Test against South Africa.
See Also: David Warner’s manager offers update on SRH captain’s participation in IPL 13
Australian cricket was shaken to the core after cameras had caught Cameron Bancroft using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball at Newlands. Subsequently, then captain Smith and his deputy Warner were given 12-month bans while Bancroft was handed a nine-month suspension under Cricket Australia's Code of Conduct.
After serving his ban, Warner made a successful comeback to international cricket during the 2019 World Cup in England.
However, the southpaw had a topsy-turvy start to his World Cup campaign. After doing well against Afghanistan and West Indies, Warner played an uncharacteristic knock of 84-ball 56 while chasing India’s mammoth target of 353.
Talking about that slow innings, the left-hander in a recently released docu-series titled 'The Test' admitted that he batted with "fear" against India's bowling attack.
“From the batting point of view I was quite rattled after I ran out Finchy,” Warner confessed.
“I felt like I had a fear of getting out. I didn’t feel like I could take that risk.”
It was after Warner's self-assessment that former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting – working with the side as a batting coach – shared some brutally honest advice that would prove to be a turning point for the opener.
“If you’re scared about getting out, f*** that. You’ve got to be thinking about getting runs, not be worried about making a mistake,” Ponting said.
“I’ve been there, you start thinking about making mistakes as a player, you’re f***ed. At the end of the day all of you have got nothing to fear, nothing to lose right now.
“We haven’t got the World Cup. All we’ve got are things to gain and things to win. You need to think that way.
“You are the best cricket team in the tournament. If you keep holding back and being fearful of things, this is going to get harder and harder.
“Keep backing yourself and backing your skills and imposing yourself on the game when the opportunity presents itself.”
Warner acknowledged that Ponting's blunt analysis was "confronting" but effective.
“When you’re in a team environment, and you’re giving feedback in front of a group, it can be quite confronting sometimes,” he admitted.
“It really hit me, and I was just like, ‘OK, I’ll take that on board’.”
Notably, David Warner finished the World Cup as the second highest run-getter with 647 runs from 10 innings, including three tons and as many fifties.
(Inputs from Yahoosport)
