Khawaja claims Warner was told to sledge opponents

Usman Khawaja says it has warmed his heart to see David Warner finally embraced by the Australian cricket public, and revealed the retiring opener was once instructed to sledge and intimidate opponents by coaches and senior players.

Warner received a standing ovation from more than 20,000 fans on day two of the third Test between Australia and Pakistan at the SCG after falling for 34 in what could be his final Test innings.

Khawaja was the pick of Australia’s batsmen with a fine 47 before being caught down the leg side. On a day curtailed by rain, Australia went to stumps at 2-116, with Marnus Labuschagne (23) and Steve Smith (6) unbeaten at the crease.

At 12.08pm on Thursday, after a 100-minute stay at the crease, Warner’s fairytale final Test veered off script when he edged a ball to Babar Azam at slip off the bowling of Salman Ali Agha.

It was a tantalising off-break which drew a false shot and undid Warner. Coming around the wicket to the left-hander, Salman’s delivery drifted towards the leg side before pitching and creating a puff of dust.

The extra turn helped catch the edge of Warner’s bat, consigning the opener to his lowest score against Pakistan at the SCG.

David Warner walks off the SCG. Credit: Getty

Unless Australia make a massive first innings total and bowl Pakistan out cheaply – or bad weather becomes a factor – Warner will get one last chance to bat at his beloved SCG.

With wife Candice in the stands, Warner did not raise his bat. He shook his head in disgust and was angry at himself for the mode of dismissal. A quick wave of the right hand acknowledged the fans, but this did not feel like the final moment for a great of the game.

“I always love batting with Davey, and it’s nice to see him leave on a high. He just got a ripper of a ball,” Khawaja said. “It’s nice for him to go out on his own terms in front of his home crowd and family.”

Khawaja, a childhood friend of Warner’s, went into bat for his mate at a press conference after the day’s play and in the process, implicated a number of former players and coaches.

The SCG: Pretty as a picture.Credit: Getty

Warner’s reputation was in tatters after the ball-tampering saga of 2018 but Khawaja insists that he was not completely to blame for his belligerent behaviour in a baggy green.

“For a long period of time he was in people’s faces and doing stuff and playing cricket but that wasn’t always Davey,” Khawaja said. “He was also getting told to play a certain way by the coaching staff and people around him at certain points. He’s such a team player that if you ask him to do it, he’ll do it. That’s the frustrating thing. He’s always put himself second.

“If coaches or senior players asked him to get into the contest and sledge the other teams, he’d do it. He’s always put himself second in those situations. He doesn’t have to go out and do it.

“It’s really good to watch that people are getting around him because I believe he deserves it. It’s nice to see people give him the accolades he deserves and going out on a high.”

After 46 overs on day two and with Australia still trailing by 197 runs, play was abandoned at 2.22pm for bad light before light showers brought about a premature finish.

Warner knew he was lucky to still be out in the middle after a horror dropped catch that summed up the tourists’ woes this summer.

Pakistan debutant Saim Ayub, fresh off a second-ball duck in his side’s first innings, dropped the simplest of catches at first slip with Warner on 20.

Rubbing salt into the wound was the fact Ayub was only fielding there because Salman, a specialist slipper, was off the field.

Salman later conceded he was taking a toilet break. Team officials told him about the dropped catch when he came out of the bathroom.

There was a wry smile from Warner – perhaps sensing the cricket gods were on his side – but he failed to make the most of the good fortune, despite some productive stroke play during his 68-ball stay.

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