AUS vs PAK: Former Cricket Australia Director Commends David Warner For His Action After Ball-Tampering Scandal

Earl Eddings, the former deputy chair of Cricket Australia, commended opener David Warner for his handling of the Sandpapergate scandal. Earl Eddings acknowledged the growth shown by David Warner, Steve Smith, and Bancroft, both as cricketers and as individuals.

David Warner was involved in the ball-tampering scandal during the Newlands Test against South Africa. Cameron Bancroft, who executed the act, received a nine-month ban from top-level cricket. Then-captain Steve Smith and David Warner faced one-year bans.

The 37-year-old returned to top-level cricket during the IPL 2019, showcasing exceptional form with multiple centuries for the SunRisers Hyderabad. His outstanding performance continued as he amassed a remarkable total of 647 runs in the 2019 ODI World Cup in England.

David Warner Did What We Askes Him To Do – Earl Eddings

Before David Warner‘s final Test, Earl Eddings, who was one of the CA directors during the Sandpapergate scandal, commended the left-handed batter for accepting the punishment gracefully and delivering excellent cricket performances.

“He went back and did what we asked him to do at the time, and he came back out and took his punishment on the chin and played great cricket,” Eddings said.

“The way he came back and applied himself, he’s earned a lot of respect by doing that. For all three of the players it was never about stopping them from playing the game. It was doing your punishment, come back and hopefully come back as better batsmen and better people. I think all three of them did that.”

Warner began his farewell series with a stellar century, scoring a magnificent 164 in the first Test at Perth. The southpaw had a relatively quiet outing in the second Test. He is set to play his last Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), starting on Wednesday, January 3.

Warner stands as Australia’s fifth-highest run scorer in Test cricket, amassing 8,695 runs in 111 Tests at an average of 44.58. He smashed 26 centuries and 36 half-centuries in his illustrious career. Notably, he scored an unbeaten 335 runs against Pakistan in 2019.

Pakistan And Australia Announce Playing XI For Final Test Match

Pakistan announced the playing XI for the next match, making two changes from their previous lineup. Saim Ayub replaced Imam-ul-Haq, who struggled to make an impact in the series. Shaheen Afridi has been rested for the final game to manage his workload.

On the other hand, Australian captain Pat Cummins has confirmed an unchanged playing XI for the upcoming match against Pakistan. The New Year’s Test is anticipated to be impacted by rain during the opening three days of the game.

Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Sajid Khan, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Aamir Jamal

Also read: AUS vs PAK: “I Actually Had Lord’s Penciled In As My Last Test” – David Warner’s Shocking Revelation Before Farewell Test