David Warner apology: Dumped vice-captain has everybody nervous

His decision not to tell all looked shonky, but David Warner knows what he’s doing. And he’s making everybody very nervous.

Former Australia vice-captain David Warner may not have told all, but he will take people down with him.

What David Warner did not say will send a chill through the team and Cricket Australia headquarters.

He wouldn’t say if others were involved. He wouldn’t say how long the side has indulged in ball tampering.

He has no love for “the suits”. He will take people down with him.

He apologised on Saturday morning and he opened his shirt to reveal his wounds. He wept, his wife wept. They weren’t crocodile tears. Warner is not an actor. His wooden attempt to stick to the script when he foolishly took questions proves that. It was a mistake.

Candice Warner is “inconsolable” according to those close to the family. It’s a rotten time. Warner is painfully aware of the impact his actions have had on his team mates, the game and his family.

When he spoke of Candice his emotions were as raw as when Steve Smith spoke of letting down his father who stood at his side. Warner’s wife sat in the audience, but has been by his side through all of this — as she has been since they met four years ago.

David Warner's wife, Candice, watched on in tears as he addressed the media from the Sydney Cricket Ground. Picture: 9NEWS.

Steve Smith was no more forthcoming than Warner when asked if others were also responsible. Cricket Australia’s chief executive also parried away questions, using the ongoing investigation and then the possibility of further action as a reason.

Warner was hit by a baseball bat for his decision not to answer, but it’s wise in the situation. It just looked so shonky.

The impact of what Warner does next is what has everybody nervous. He is not a man to go away quietly. His behaviour on the cricket field is encouraged by coach and team mates, but it is a reflection of his personality and comes naturally. He doesn’t need to be asked twice to get off the leash.

There are some serious legal heavy weights sniffing around this situation who want to work the players side

The condemned cricketers will demand a fair hearing and have every right.

Steve Smith and David Warner have taken legal advice. Presumably Cameron Bancroft has done the same, if he hasn’t he is a fool.

The hasty 24-hour investigation by Cricket Australia’s Iain Roy and the penalties that chief executive James Sutherland indicated have been arrived at in consultation with the board is justice on the run.

The penalties do not appear manifestly unfair from where I sit, but Graeme Smith — no fan of Australian cricket — was stunned at their severity. If the former South African captain thinks they are too harsh it is a view worth considering.

Cricketers charged with a Level 3 Offence can accept the initial notice of charge or they can ask for a hearing. They can admit the charge but dispute the sanction or deny the charge — basically plead not guilty and ask for a sober, unhurried examination of the facts.

The Australian Cricketers Association has questioned the severity of the sentences and the involvement of the board in arriving at them.

The players actions have hit Cricket Australia’s bottom line with sponsors heading for the exit. Cricket Australia’s sanctions were used by the IPL as a guide to deprive Warner and Smith of almost $5m this year alone.

There is a lot at stake, but it’s not necessarily a cost that will be counted in dollars and sense.