David Warner on ball-tampering scandal

David Warner has revealed he has no regrets about his cricket career – even the ball-tampering scandal – because it has made him the person he is today. Warner will play his 100th Test match on Boxing Day against South Africa, desperate for runs after a lean trot that has seen him fail to score a century since January 2020.

The opener is averaging just 21 since the start of the Ashes last summer, with calls growing for Australia to drop Warner or for him to bite the bullet and retire. A return to form in the Boxing Day Test would be the perfect response for Warner, who will be playing his 100th match in the longer format of the game.

Warner was dubbed the ‘architect’ of a plan that resulted in Cameron Bancroft being caught applying sandpaper to the ball during a Test match in South Africa. Bancroft was subsequently banned nine months, while then-captain Steve Smith was also hit with a 12-month suspension.

“I don’t regret anything. You make your own path, right? No one is perfect and you should never judge anyone until you’re perfect, whatever happened to me in my past, it’s made me the individual I am and has probably got me to to where I am … If I did go back and make changes I wouldn’t be the person who I am.”

Warner said there was a silver lining to the scandal in that it allowed him to spend more time with wife Candice and their three young daughters. He added: “There were dark times, but I enjoyed the family time. I enjoyed going back to grade cricket and playing with my mates and getting an appreciation for all the volunteers who dedicate their time to cricket because they love the sport.”

Steve Smith and David Warner look on during Australia’s clash with the West Indies. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)