David Warner opens up on the biggest and most challenging moments of his incredible career

Ahead of his 100th Test, opener David Warner has opened up his greatest innings, teams and moments that have helpedshape him into one of Australia’s most successful Test batsmen.

David Warner has opened up on the biggest moments of his career ahead of his 100th Test. Picture: AFP Photo

David Warner has opened up about the Dalai Lama, John Howard, the greatest bowler he faced and why he resented being type cast as the Australian team’s attack dog.

As he prepares to celebrate his 100th Test at the MCG on Boxing Day, Warner has pulled back the curtain on his career and today explores the highs, lows and the secrets that made him one of the most unique talents in Australian cricket history.

Looking back on the heartbreaking death of teammate Phillip Hughes, Warner explains how he didn’t feel he “deserved” to be playing cricket in the wake of the tragedy and is still gripped by emotion every time he steps onto the SCG.

Warner is on the verge of playing 100 games in each of the three formats for Australia, an extraordinary feat that really only Virat Kohli has achieved.

But as well as being the first, he may also be the last.

Warner believes there will never be another him, in that the path he has blazed as a three-format superstar will no longer be possible in the modern game due to the relentless schedule.

“There might be the odd one that jumps out,” Warner says.

“But I don’t think you’re going to see a 5-10 year career cricketer playing all three forms. I just don’t think it’s going to happen.”

Of all the Australian teams he‘s been part of over 100 Tests, Warner claims the feeling inside the current dressing room is the best he’s ever experienced.

As you prepare for your 100th Test, how do you look back on your Test debut against New Zealand in 2011?

It was a big moment. When I got the call-up, when you actually get that phone call saying you’re playing your first Test match, it is a surreal moment. A radio station at the time said I was a ‘fish in a frying pan’. Particularly given I was never considered a Test match player, from the moment I got that phone call it was like, ‘OK, this has become a reality now.’ I had no real nerves. I don’t really get nervous at all. But walking out there game day, getting presented my cap by Slats (Michael Slater), with my family around, it was quite emotional. There’s only been 450 people who have represented Australia. It’s a privilege and an honour to actually put that baggy green on.

David Warner navigates a short ball on debut. Picture: Getty Images

What do you consider to be the best innings of your Test career?

I think it’s hard to go past my 300 against Pakistan. I obviously batted a lot of time there. That’s going to stick with me for a long time, as will the hundred I scored against Pakistan a couple of years earlier in the first session at the SCG and my 180 at the WACA against India early in my career. I also scored back to back hundreds in Cape Town in 2014 and during that hundred Michael Clarke scored one of the best hundreds of his career, which I was up the other end for. I was thinking, ‘am I playing a different game here?’ Michael was getting peppered. Morne Morkel was bowling absolute gas. He was bowling so fast. I had a good series and back-to-back hundreds against a very strong South African bowling attack on a tough wicket was very special.

Who is the best bowler you ever faced?

I always loved the challenge of facing Dale Steyn. Towards the back end of Dale’s career he held his pace back to make the ball swing. Then, when he had a sniff and that ball wasn’t moving anymore, he upped his gear. He’s one guy that changed his gears from 135km/h to 150km/h when he needed to. And I think that’s why he was so successful and that’s why he was so skilful. Facing him in all formats was very tough. Anyone who can swing the ball back at 150km/h is special and I think he’s one bowler that I liked challenging myself against.

For many years there you and Steve Smith were going hundred for hundred. Did you guys have a rivalry?

Not really. For us it was about putting the team in a great position and the hunger and desire to score big. We were going through a bit of a patch as a team where Steve and I were being relied upon to do a lot of the scoring. We just had that run of scoring which we both went on together and we both had the hunger for us to have success. We were all about wanting to win every game we participated in. When you’re going through your peaks, it’s a great feeling. And it was good for the team. It’s very hard to be competitive with someone when you open the batting and you have to face the brand new ball all the time.

Young Steve Smith and David Warner playing for NSW in domestic cricket.

The way cricket is now with the schedule so ridiculously jam packed, can there be another David Warner? That is, another genuine all-format batsman?

I say this in a non-arrogant way, but no. There will be super talented cricketers come through but it’s almost impossible now to forge a career playing all three formats. If you have a family, no way. It’s not sustainable. You can’t play every tour. You won’t be able to play every game for Australia. At one stage between 2014-2018 I went four years without a break. I played the most cricket of any Australian cricketer. I think I played upwards of 80 days a year. If you add in days for flights and training, that’s the whole year gone. Through that period, I was absolutely cooked trying to play everything. That was before people were allowed to rest. There’s actually some common sense today. But I think what’s going to happen now is you’re probably not going to get your Test cricketers from T20 cricket anymore. There might be the odd one that jumps out but I don’t think you’re going to see a 5-10 year career cricketer playing all three forms. I just don’t think it’s going to happen.

What are your memories of playing the Adelaide Test in 2014 in the wake of Phillip Hughes’ tragic passing? You made back-to-back hundreds.

I went to walk into the nets at Park 25 out the back of Adelaide Oval and I just couldn’t go in there. It was a challenge for a lot of us. Each individual prepared differently that game. There was a lot of emotions. To be honest going out there and playing that game, I think we were just all numb. I didn’t put a value on my wicket. I just went out there and saw the ball and reacted. I was fiery that Test match. I felt like at that stage we didn’t deserve to be out there. It was very, very difficult. Very, very difficult. I know Hughesy would have wanted us to go back out there. ‘Don’t stop for me.’ That was the type of person he was. He just cared about everyone else. It was an emotional time, but we knew we had our mate there. Still today he’s still up the other end. It’s always an emotional feeling going to the SCG and going out there to play. It’s always running through our heads all the time.

David Warner kisses the turf in the spot where Phillip Hughes was felled. Picture: Phil Hillyard

What’s the best advice you ever got in your career?

Be the last to speak. Listen, learn, and then speak. The other one was I remember Mike Hussey saying, ‘enjoy the good days because there’s going to be a lot of bad days.’ I’ve scored 24 hundreds. I’ve had 24 good days. As a team of course we’ve won a lot of games but as an individual I’ve had 24 good days in Test cricket out of 100 games. That’s why you’ve got to celebrate your individual accolades. Go down and have a beer or whatever you do to celebrate because they’re few and far between. Its’ a hard game. This (100th Test) is one of those moments in time you look back. That’s why you reflect on what you’ve done in the moment. I wouldn’t change it for anything. It’s awesome.

Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and yourself work extremely hard and you have the records to show for it. Do young cricketers coming through work hard enough?

I think they do. You see with Greeny (Cameron Green) coming in, Kez (Alex Carey), Heady (Travis Head), the guys are hitting long periods of time, which is great. They’re doing the hard yards, they are working their backsides off. We’ve got a great bunch of guys here right now in this Australian team, which is fantastic. It’s something I haven’t felt before.

What is the best cricket shot in your arsenal?

I’d say it used to be cut shots. You look at how Heady bats, that’s how I used to bat. I used to cut everything. But I think my best overall shot is the pick up over mid-wicket. That’s probably the shot. Length delivery. That’s my key.

Could you have made it as a right-handed batsman?

I’d have to strengthen my top hand a bit. Off-side was always my downfall as a right-hander. Leg side, with sweeping and pull shot was fine. I’d definitely be a leg-side player if I was a right-hander. But I’d probably get my off-pole knocked off quite a bit!

What’s been your most painful injury?

My thumb was excruciating. When Steven Finn hit me in an ODI at Lord’s in 2015, I knew straight away it was fractured. It was absolutely throbbing. If the Lord’s crowd wasn’t cheering you would have heard a squeal from the change room when I got the blocker (injection) in there. It took almost 13 or 14 overs for the doc to put a block in there. It was just so painful. So painful.

David Warner celebrates a 2014 century against South Africa. Picture: AFP Images

Is there a team win that sticks out as the best?

For me, the third and last Test against South Africa in Cape Town, 2014. Ryan Harris bowling Morne Morkel in the last hour to win us the match. Any game that goes to the last hour in Test cricket, that’s what you want to be part of. That’s what you live and breathe for is being there in that moment. That was awesome, that match. A lot has happened in my career in Cape Town!

You love your golf. Who is cricket’s best golfer?

I think Ricky Ponting. Punter or Blewy (Greg Blewett).

What is your favourite ground outside of SCG?

The WACA, the Gabba and Adelaide Oval have all been good to me. But I love the WACA. The WACA was one of those venues where you rocked up and you just felt if you weren’t getting out in the first hour, you could just lock yourself in for the day.

You and Chris Rogers are so different. Why did you work so well as an opening partnership?

When it comes to opening partners it’s who you actually gel with. It’s who you understand when you’re playing. I think why we had so much success, Bucky was always communicating with me as well. He kept me level headed when I was out there. I felt like we complemented each other very well. Bucky was obviously one who got his eye in, watched the ball hard. And then if I was up the other end going, he would be able to play his shots then, because they might bowl him some loose deliveries. It just worked. He was at the back end of his career as well. He had nothing to lose and he really knuckled down.

Did you resent being used as the team’s attack dog? And is that why you became the ‘Reverend’ and said nothing on the field?

I just felt like for me at that time, I wasn’t going to be told what to do. I saw there was a lot of negativity around. For me it was like, all I was listening to was negative. I just thought, ‘I need to get into a positive mindset here. I’m around negativity and I didn’t like it.’ It was about being positive, and having that positive affirmation brought the best out in me. I stopped drinking for two years. My wife was pregnant at that stage so that was the reason why (I stopped drinking), but I just kept going after that. There’s not much chat on the field these days and it has a lot to do now with playing IPL and playing with different guys at different franchises. Now people get to know the person. I’m sure if you spoke to people I’ve played with now from different countries, they’ll give you a different version of me, compared to when they did play against me and they didn’t know me. That’s where all that sits today.

David Warner did not enjoy the ‘attack dog’ tag. Picture: Getty Images

Is there an international player you’re particularly close to?

Kane Williamson and I are really tight. I’ve spent a lot of time with Kane in the IPL and we speak often. He’s a great guy who I can trust and I can speak to honestly to and he’ll give me his honest feedback, which is great. We talk a lot about cricket, we talk a lot about business off the field. We’ve still got a good bond. He’s one guy that after cricket I’d like to do some stuff with.

As a cricketer I’m sure you come across some interesting people. Any famous ones that stand out?

The Dalai Lama was quite cool. One of my favourites is John Howard. He obviously led our country amazingly and he’s a great character. One of my good friends is Dominic Purcell from Prison Break. He’s a good friend of mine. Dom was one guy that I met and even though he’s obviously living in America, he would text me and we’d talk frequently and he always talked sense to me.

Who have been the biggest cricketing influences on your career?

Rod Marsh, Ricky Ponting and Greg Chappell. I talked a lot to Rod when he was a selector. He was like a father figure on tour. I could always have a beer with him, have a chin wag. Rod’s passing was very, very sad for us all. Punter has been a big one for me as well. He might not pick up the phone when you ring … after the tenth time he might! But that’s just Punter. Greg’s always been there for me from the start. He always backed me and supported me. He’s one guy that I can pick up the phone to and I spoke to him just the other day. He’s always got our best interests at heart. He would always reach out and I have a lot of respect for him. What Rod, Rick and Greg have done for us and cricket is massive. Those guys are icons of our game. It means a lot to have them in your corner.