Former Australia speedster Mitchell Johnson has slammed David Warner‘s wife Candice for her recent comments on the lack of support from Cricket Australia (CA) in the aftermath of the Newlands Sandpaper Gate scandal in 2018.
In the 2018 Cape Town Test between Australia and South Africa, David Warner is reported to have set up the plan of having Cameron Bancroft tamper the ball with a sandpaper to gain more reverse swing.
Candice, who was with her husband and daughters at the time in Cape Town, has accused CA of trying to sabotage David Warner’s career following the Sandpaper Gate saga and that the board was blaming her husband.
“There was no support. Basically from when we left the hotel in South Africa, David was wiped. There was no Cricket Australia official helping him. There was nothing. It’s like: ‘Basically you fend for yourself now’. It was basically fended for yourself, see you later.
“Thanks for your services probably, we’re going to do our best for you not to ever come back and play cricket for our country again. We’re going to blame you for everything. And that’s what they did,” Candice Warner said on The Matty Johns Podcast.
Some comments from David Warner’s wife have not been received well by Mitchell Johnson
David Warner is currently under threat of his position in the Australian Test team. He is all but certain to start in the WTC final against India, but could be dropped for the Ashes if he doesn’t perform; Australia have included Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw in the Ashes squad.
In his column for West Australia, Mitchell Johnson wrote, “I get all that, but if Dave doesn’t perform in that first Test, who do they bring in that’s better? We’ve all appreciated Warner’s tremendous career as an opener and what he’s achieved. But that’s not what it’s about. His form has not been up to scratch for a while now.”
On David Warner’s wife, Johnson reckoned: “Warner even had his wife Candice defending him in her panel role on the TV show The Back Page this week. Her loyalty might be admirable but it was all a bit weird and cringey when she said if Dave doesn’t perform in that first Test, who do they bring in that’s better? I hate that argument. If players were only judged on their previous achievements then Dennis Lillee would still be opening the bowling for Australia and Ricky Ponting would be batting at No.3.”
David Warner is currently playing for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2023, and he could leave from India after the conclusion of the group stage to prepare for the WTC final.
