Colman’s Call: Crucial lessons David Warner must learn from Cameron Bancroft’s interview

Dave Warner has been thrown under the bus by both Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith in recent days. But instead of worrying about how badly his stocks have fallen, there are crucial lessons he must learn.

Bancroft during his Fox interview

So, Dave Warner, what did you do over Christmas?

“Not much. Had a nice lunch with the family, opened some presents, got thrown under a bus.”

Man, have you ever seen anyone hung out to dry like Warner has been over the past few days?

The stocks of Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft have risen like Google shares while Warner’s have crashed and burned like it was New York 1929.

If we ever had any doubts who was the mastermind behind one of the most knuckleheaded crimes ever perpetrated in world cricket history they have been well and truly answered now.

No need to guess any longer, his two accomplices have turned State’s evidence.

BANCROFT: I’M NOT A VICTIM BUT I COULDN’T SAY NO

I’m not saying Warner would be upset by the interviews given by his former teammates in the past week, but if I was them I’d be asking to go into the witness protection program.

Bancroft’s interview with Adam Gilchrist was the most compelling piece of TV I’ve seen since the final episode of MASH.

David Warner and his wife Candice at their press conference last March

He came across as the young person we have all been: impressionable, unconfident and wanting to be liked by the leaders of the pack.

A classic case of a newcomer to the scene falling victim to peer pressure.

Not that Bancroft admitted to being a victim, even though his version of events leading up to “Sandpapergate” said it for him.

When “Dave” asked him to tamper with the ball, he was placed in the ultimate no-win situation. As he told Gilchrist, whether he agreed to follow Warner’s suggestion or not, he would go to bed that night feeling the same thing: that he had let down the team.

Australian Cricketer Cameron Bancroft exposed more details of the ball tampering scandal in his interview

The honesty with which Bancroft answered all questions seemed to surprise even Gilchrist.

This, you got the impression, was a young man who had learnt a lot from his darkest moment; someone who had been forced on a voyage of self-discovery and come out the other side, wiser, stronger and a better person.

Smith’s body language during his media conference painted the same picture. His crime, he told us, just like Bancroft’s, was not devising or implementing the clumsy attempt to cheat, but not saying “no”.

Bancroft during his Fox interview

He too is now a better man for the experience. He is even the star of a TV commercial aimed at helping others learn from his mistakes.

Six months ago he was a pariah, now he’s a role model.

I don’t know if he has employed an image consultancy to help manage his return from the shadows but if he has, it has been money well spent.

Warner should ask for their number. Either that or sign up for Bancroft’s yoga class.

Originally published as Colman’s Call: Crucial lessons David Warner must learn from Cameron Bancroft’s interview