‘It’s magic’: Candice shares details about Warner’s plans post-cricket

They’ve stuck tight together through scandal and success, and now Candice Warner and her children can’t wait for the next stage of their lives with retired cricketer David Warner.

He’s been called many things in his colourful career but to his wife Candice, retiring Australian cricketer David Warner is and will always be a “warrior”.

And when she watched him leave his final Test match to an appreciative roar from the Sydney Cricket Ground crowd for the Sydney boy, there was no sadness for the world he was leaving behind.

Rather, there was joy and anticipation for the times ahead when he can finally just focus on being a fully present father to their three daughters, Ivy, 9, Indi, who is about to turn 8, and four-year-old Isla.

“It’s definitely a celebration,” she told The Sunday Telegraph of the milestone.

“So it’s just a really great day”

David and Candice Warner pictured leaving home in Marourbra today. Picture: David Swift

The former ironwoman-turned-author and commentator, described Saturday’s eight-wicket Aussie victory over Pakistan, with Warner dismissed on 57 runs, as the “perfect end” to a career that saw him repeatedly exceed expectations, defy his loudest critics and stare down his enemies.

After his retirement match, Candice and David Warner dressed up for a night out at The Ivy bar in the city. Picture: Media Mode.

Married since 2015, the couple are an iron-clad team who have supported each other through the sandpapergate scandal, feral sledging of their relationship and, most recently, a public spat with former teammate Mitchell Johnson and the suspicious five-day disappearance of Warner’s baggy green.

A day after retirement David and Candice Warner pictured outside their home with his daughters Ivy Mae, Indi Rae and Isla Rose in Maroubra Picture: Daily Telegraph / Monique Harmer

It’s a bond that’s reminiscent of another high-profile sporting couple featuring a controversial David. And, while Warner, 38, said she and her husband were “in no way” comparable to Victoria and David Beckham — whose powerful union was examined in the recent Netflix documentary about the English footballer’s career — she related to the challenges the Beckhams faced when the public also turned on them.

Teammate Steve Smith and partner Dani Willis arrive at The Ivy. Picture: Damian Shaw

Captain Pat Cummins arrives with wife Becky Boston. Picture: Media Mode

“He cops it more than anyone I know,” she said of Warner, 37, when asked about the comparisons between them and Posh and Becks.

“When he’s away the crowd can be so much, and there’s people giving it to him on social media, the media itself.

“But he deals with it in a way that I’ve actually never seen anyone deal with it.

“He never makes excuses. He never says it’s all getting too much. He just cracks on.

“And I take my hat off to him for that because he is a warrior.”

The Warners outside their Maroubra home this morning. Picture: Monique Harmer

Candice said the family took their greatest solace during tough times by being together at their Maroubra home.

“Sometimes the hate from the crowd has been intense,” she said.

“Having that, that’s why when you come home that’s your sanctuary. And for us, home is so important because it’s just our escape from the world.

“Sometimes it hasn’t been easy. Sometimes it has taken a lot of courage to front people or to just walk outside the house.

“But David and myself, we are very resilient. We’re strong.

“It’s something that is just within us and I see it in the girls now, just their inner strength and their resilience.

Warner with his daughters as he leaves the field. Picture: Julian Andrews

And a congratulatory kiss from Candice. Picture: Getty Images

“And I think that’s one of the things that I’m most proud of with David’s career.

“When I’m thinking about his retiring, it’s not so sad.

“I say to him: ‘There were tough times and you made it. Your back was against the wall on so many occasions’.

“And I think if other players or other people were in the same situations, I’m not sure if they would have been able to push through and break that wall down.

“And David has done that on numerous occasions.

“We saw it even last summer in the Boxing Day Test when there was a lot of talk that maybe David should retire then. And he came out of the Test match and scored 200 in really harsh conditions. It was just boiling hot that day.

“He’s just resilient.”

David and Candice Warner with their daughters Ivy Mae, Indy Rae and Isla Rose at the SCG. Picture: Getty Images

The temporary loss of his baggy greens — about which he posted an emotional plea for their return last week — had threatened to overshadow the run up to his Test retirement, and Candice said the pair was overjoyed at their return.

As to who took them — and whether it was the act of an overzealous prankster or something more sinister — she said they weren’t too fussed about chasing answers.

“It was just about getting them back,” she said of their efforts to have the caps returned.

“We don’t care where they have been.

“It would have been awful (for them to have been lost). But they showed up at the team hotel and now he’s got them.

“And they don’t mean much to anyone else but, the players who have earned them, they mean the world to us.

“To be completely honest we have no idea where they were.

“All we know is that Dave got a phone call from the team management a few days ago saying they had showed up.

“So any questions would be for, I would say, the team security or team management to answer.”

Warner’s family are with him every step of the way. Picture: Julian Andrews

While Warner has now played his final Test match, he has several playing commitments across Australia and international stints in the US and Dubai over coming months before taking up his new role as a commentator with Fox Sport.

There will also be a book released at some stage.

“The next six months actually aren’t going to look too dissimilar to what we’re used to,” Candice Warner said.

“It will be that back end of the year where there isn’t as much cricket where we’ll get that quality family time, when David will be able to take the girls to cricket, take the girls to soccer on a Sunday.

“All those things that some adults say they don’t want to do, but he’s never had that chance to do any of those things because he’s always been away playing.

“It might not seem like much, but when you’re such a hands-on father and you want to be there for everything, it’s been difficult for David not being able to be there for the girls.

“It’s magic. And the girls just absolutely love when their dad’s home and he gets to pick them up from school, the little things like them running up to David with their big backpacks on and they just give you the big cuddle and talk about the day.

“That’s what I know he’s looking forward to.”

One last pic with the lads. Picture: Getty Images)

Speaking with fierce pride and love on Saturday, Warner said she had been relieved and encouraged by the accolades from other players for her husband ahead of his retirement.

“Early on, David played a certain role on the field and was a certain character, but he’s so far from that off the field,” she said.

“And I think we’ve seen that this week with the amount of stories about his kindness, his generosity, just all those sort of things. That’s what I want to get out there.

“He does so many great things for so many people and he never wants to get any accolades for any of those things, whether it be charity or helping certain people out.

“He doesn’t make that known because you do those things because it comes from the heart. You don’t do those things to get publicity.

“He’s just a good man.

“Sometimes people, they ignore some of those things that he does.”

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