NEW DELHI: As he considers his legacy ahead of his probable retirement from international cricket, Australian opener David Warner feels the “Sandpaper-gate” incident of 2018 will always mar his reputation.
The contentious 37-year-old wants to end his career on a positive note by winning the T20 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies, where Australia have advanced to the Super Eight round.
Talking to reporters in Antigua, Warner said that his achievements with the bat will always be paired with the infamous ball-tampering affair that occurred in South Africa six years ago.
“I think it’s going to be inevitable that when people talk about me in 20 or 30 years’ time, there will always be that sandpaper scandal,” said Warner, according to
Cricket Australia<\/a>.
According to AFP, the top run scorer for Australia in T20 cricket has declared that his international playing career will end at the World Cup.
Warner stated that he believed he had been unfairly picked out because of the affair, as his time at the top was coming to an end.
“Whether it’s people who don’t like the Australian cricket team or don’t like me, I’ve always been that person who has copped it,” said Warner.
“It’s fine if they want to do that, but I always feel like I’ve taken a lot of pressure off a lot of guys as well and I think understandably I’ve been that person to be able to absorb that.”
Warner’s involvement in the third Test scandal in Cape Town, when Cameron Bancroft used sandpaper to scuff the ball before making a clumsy attempt to hide the evidence down his pants, earned him a one-year ban, along with that of the then-skipper Steve Smith<\/a>.
Because Warner was the main conspirator, Cricket Australia demoted him from vice captain.
The batsman expressed his excitement for his impending retirement from international cricket as a result.
“One can only absorb (so much),” he said.
“For me, it’s great to go out knowing I’m not going to cop it anymore.”<\/div>\n