SPORTS
Batsman out until start of first Test. He embarrassed Australia says captain
Michael Clarke has admitted Australia were deeply embarrassed by the actions of David Warner but vowed it will not deflect them from their goal of regaining the Ashes.
Clarke, the Australia captain, and Warner sat side by side at a press conference in their west London hotel on Thursday just hours after a disciplinary commission had suspended the opening batsman until the start of the first Ashes Test and fined him £7,000.
A contrite Warner admitted to punching Joe Root, the young England batsman, "in the face" in a Birmingham bar in the early hours of Sunday, an act his captain described as completely "unacceptable as an Australian cricketer".
Warner conceded he was fortunate to still be a part of the tour having feared he would be sent home in disgrace and apologised publicly to his team-mates and Root. "It's true I struck Joe in the face and I'm here today to put my hand up and apologise publicly to Joe and to own up to my actions," he said.
"I'm responsible for my actions and am extremely remorseful. I've let not just my team-mates down, but the Australia fans, the support staff, myself, my family - I'm sincerely apologetic. "It was totally out of line, I've sent a text message to Joe, he's accepted my apology and I'm eternally grateful for that." Warner will now miss the rest of the Champions Trophy campaign and two warm-up matches against Somerset and Worcestershire before the first Test.
Without any match practice he will be highly unlikely to feature in the first two Tests with only a four-day gap separating the matches at Trent Bridge and Lord's. Clarke denied this incident was further example of the Australia team being in disarray with less than a month to go before the first Ashes Test. "We'll be 100 per cent ready for the Ashes, no doubt about it," said Clarke. "I've said for a long time it's not what you say it's what you do and this is an opportunity for Dave Warner. It's not what he says, it's what he does.
"Although the punishment for David is quite harsh, that's the reality when you play for the Australian cricket team. The culture we are trying to set up here, you need to make sure you are doing the right things.
This is not an IPL team, not state cricket, this is not county cricket, we are representing Australia.
There are standards you have to uphold and David knows he hasn't upheld those standards." A brief disciplinary hearing was held yesterday morning at the Australia team hotel in Birmingham via a conference call with Cricket Australia officials in Melbourne. Warner pleaded guilty to "unbecoming behaviour" and accepted his punishment.
Australian cricket has a history of expecting cricketers who have transgressed to apologise in public and Warner trod a path followed by Ricky Ponting nearly 20 years ago when he had to face the media in Australia sporting a black eye after being punched in a Sydney pub. Warner refused to elaborate on any details of the moments leading up to the altercation with Root.
He answered questions over whether there was a fake wig involved by falling back on the apologetic words clearly drummed into him by the Cricket Australia media managers. When pressed on the issue he said he was not there to "speculate". In reality, Warner and Cricket Australia probably realised defending his actions was impossible.
The England players in the bar were stunned by Warner's actions and Root was offered the choice of filing a complaint to West Midlands Police which was declined. Warner apologised the following morning via a text message during which he said he believed Root was imitating the beard of Hashim Amla, the South African Muslim cricketer. Warner admitted he had been drinking on Saturday evening, witnesses claimed he was downing "Jagerbombs" and vodka Red Bull cocktails, but denied he had an alcohol problem. "I definitely remember the night," he said.
"I started with a few drinks in the bar, then as a team we moved on to the Walkabout. That night wasn't a good time to go out and have a beer, we'd lost the game, and even though we'd had a day off we'd still lost. We don't have curfews, but looking back I shouldn't have been in that situation."
For Clarke this is the third time in three months he has been forced to discipline players after four were dropped from the third Test in India for not handing back a homework assignment in on time and Warner was fined for a twitter rant at journalists. It again raises question about Clarke's grip, and that of coach Mickey Arthur, on a team trying to step out of the shadows of past glories.
"The most important thing is, as part of the leadership group in this team, is we stamp on mistakes straight away, we continue to let players know what is expected of them as an Australian cricketer," said Clarke.
"We let every player know if you want to be part of this team you must meet the standards, not the other way around. "David acknowledges that. But also I think we need to accept the fact that through all of our lives you have some tough days, you make some errors in judgment but the most important thing is you get up and learn from your mistakes.
As he's acknowledged, there's been a couple of incidents over the past month he's certainly not proud of and we're not proud of as an Australian team. "He'll learn from this, it'll make him a better person, make him a better player and I have the confidence in David we won't be sitting here having this conversation again."
Chhath Puja turns scary! Venomous snake turns towards woman performing rituals, then…
Radhika Merchant changes name, shares thoughts on work and marriage
Renewable Energy: Power generation expert Shahroz Anjum leads way in solar optimisation
Meet man, Indian-origin VP, who uses vacations to determine if he's hired right people, he is...
Ricky Ponting hits back at Gautam Gambhir's 'minding own business' advice, says, 'He is…'
Decision between renting and owning: Krupa Goel's perspective on what's shaping choices today
SC pronounces verdict on 'bulldozer justice': 'Having a home is a longing that never fades...'
Archbishop of Canterbury resigns over Church of England sex abuse scandal
Why world's most valuable company Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang doesn’t wear a watch, know here
Renowned Yoga guru Sharath Jois passes away at 53
Guru Nanak Jayanti 2024: Know date, time and significance of festival
DSP tracks down vegetable vendor after 14 years, reason will leave you surprised
Chennai Rain Alert: Heavy showers expected today, IMD issues warning to 11 districts
Ankur Warikoo shares details about his annual salary, reveals he earns Rs...
Donald Trump chooses Elon Musk to lead THIS new Department, it is...
Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024 LIVE UPDATES: Voting for first phase begins
IND vs SA: Arshdeep Singh on verge of scripting history, need 8 wickets to achieve THIS massive feat
Bulldozer justice: SC to pronounce verdict today on pleas for guidelines on demolition of properties
IND vs SA, 3rd T20I: Predicted playing XIs, live streaming details, weather and pitch report
Russia plans to boost birth rate with 'Ministry of Sex', here's how
Jharkhand HC issues notice to MS Dhoni in business deal case, asks him to...
IND vs SA, 3rd T20I Dream11 prediction: Fantasy cricket tips for India vs South Africa match
Meet IAS officer, aka 'Collector Bro', who cracked UPSC exam in 2007, now suspended due to...
Here’s why Chunky Panday wouldn’t stay in Shah Rukh Khan’s house in London
Yash's Toxic in trouble? FIR filed against producers of KGF star's upcoming actioner for illegal...
Meet Dr Priti Challa, Kangana Ranaut film director Krish Jagarlamudi's second wife, she leads...
Yaariyan actor Himansh Kohli ties the knot with mystery girl in Delhi temple, first wedding pics out
‘Sometimes I wish I was more tough, more thick-skinned,’ says Aishwarya Rai in viral video
KL Rahul sweats hard in Perth nets ahead of BGT series, WATCH video here
Shahid Kapoor, wife Mira Kapoor rent out their Rs 580000000 luxury Mumbai apartment for Rs...
South Korean actor Song Jae-rim dies at 39 in Seoul apartment
Viral video: Thar SUV gets stuck on railway track after man tries to shoot reel, watch here
Elon Musk's new X post claims Putin must not be blamed for Russia-Ukraine war, instead names…
Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives fame Shalini Passi reveals 'Mom used chilli powder in my...'
My experiences with dating apps
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal reveals how company got its name, says 'we wanted…'
Key Differences Between the Indian Stock Market and Global Indices
Stock prices vs company valuation: Is your stock worth it?
Navjot Singh Sidhu is back on Kapil Sharma's show after five years, but there's a twist
Mukesh Ambani set to invest Rs 65000 crore in THIS Indian state, it will be Reliance's biggest...
Mohammed Shami to return to competitive cricket; star pacer set to play for…
Makoons World School brings a new approach to K-12 education across India
Pakistan Cricket looking to take BIG step on Champions Trophy issue, planning to...
Did Isha Ambani lend Neetu Kapoor her Navratna necklace? Reddit users react
J-K: Gunfight underway between security forces and terrorists in Bandipora
Viral video shows women as 'live mannequins' in mall, sparks fury; WATCH