Sandpapergate: Former Test captain Kim Hughes’s advice to David Warner on revealing all

David Warner is sitting on cricket’s biggest story but former Test captain Kim Hughes advises that in his experience, some things are best left unsaid.

As David Warner sits on the biggest story in cricket, a former Australian captain has reminded him of the benefits of not blowing up the building.

Kim Hughes is one of the few major figures in Australian cricket history to shun the convention of unmasking his inner thoughts in a career ending autobiography.

It would have been an explosive read. Bitter fallouts with state teammates Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh, leading a battling Australian team during the World Series revolution, being hopelessly abandoned by the Australian Cricket Board and finally skippering a rebel tour to South Africa in the mid-1980s.

The amiable Hughes, outgoing, colourful, and highly quotable in a multitude of media roles, was expected to sing like a canary.

Kim Hughes was hopelessly abandoned by the Australian Cricket Board resulting in his resignation as Australian Test captain. Picture: Ap

He had a great book in him but decided that was where it must stay … for good. Author Christian Ryan wrote an exceptional, unauthorised, award-winning biography (Golden Boy) on Hughes but the flamboyant batsman claimed he answered only a couple of questions for it.

Warner has signed to do a career ending autobiography and must decide whether to name – if there are any – other players outside he, Steve Smith and Cam Bancroft, who knew about the use of sandpaper against South Africa in 2018.

“If I had written the book and done a book tour of Australia guess what the questions would have been about?’’ Hughes said.

“It would have been Lillee and Marsh and World Series Cricket. It would have brought up so many things … I needed to move on and I am glad I did. I am a lot better for it.

“I wanted to draw the curtain on what I had been through. I liked Rod and Dennis. I have often said that if I had a dinner party for six people I would have invited Rod and Dennis.’’

“I think David Warner has handled himself well and does not need the money.

“Honestly, to go through all the “he said, she said stuff. ’’ It’s just not worth it.

Let other people say it for him.

Kim Hughes has advised David Warner to sit on whatever explosive details he has for the good of himself and the game. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“He has got three daughters and the fact that they are still copping it. So you have to think of that. I think if I was him I would have had enough.’’

Sport is dotted with bitter ex-players who sometimes don’t have that much to be bitter about but Hughes, who had a right to feel he was dealt a rough hand, went the other way and held no grudges as he fought his own post career battles which saw him give up alcohol two years ago after his life was on the verge of falling apart.

“You know how sometimes the chip (on the shoulder) can grow into a tree. I didn’t want that. I don’t regret the path I chose.

“Look, if one of my family had a health issue and desperately needed money I might have considered it but I am fine even though I am a 68-year-old pensioner.”

Most sportsmen tell their tales though former Australian goal-keeper Mark Bosnich once turned down a seven figure sum for an autobiography, believing there were parts of his controversial career he did not want to revisit.

Originally published as Sandpapergate: Former Test captain Kim Hughes’s advice to David Warner on revealing all