Michael Clarke rebukes David Warner over 'only one to face criticism' remark on Sandpaper Gate scandal during T20 WC

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke responded to veteran David Warner's recent remarks about the Sandpaper Gate scandal. Michael Clarke acknowledged that David Warner has faced pressure, but he added that other players like Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith have also been affected by the scandal.

Then-captain Steve Smith and his deputy Warner, along with opener Cameron Bancroft, were involved in the infamous ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in 2018. Warner and Smith were banned from cricket for a year by Cricket Australia (CA). Meanwhile, Bancroft served a nine-month suspension from cricket.

Additionally, David Warner received a lifetime ban from leadership roles in Australian cricket. The left-handed batter appealed to lift his lifetime captaincy ban after Aaron Finch's retirement. However, Cricket Australia denied Warner's request when the team was seeking a new white-ball captain after Finch's retirement.

Understand Where David Warner Comes From - Michael Clarke

Speaking on ESPN's Around the Wicket, Michael Clarke noted that David Warner and other players like Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith have faced pressure from the incident. Clarke criticized the timing of Warner's remark, suggesting it would have been more appropriate after the World Cup rather than during it.

"I understand where Davey comes from. I think parts of what he said are fair enough. I don't think he has got the timing right. I don't think it is fair to say that he is the only one who's copped it. I think Cameron Bancroft has certainly copped it, and it is the reason he is not in the Australian Test team, because of what happened years ago. Steve Smith, obviously, copped it and lost the Australia captaincy," Michael Clarke said.

"Davey has copped it, there is certainly no doubt about it. I just don't think the timing is probably right. I think this probably would have been better suited at the end of the World Cup rather than in the middle of the World Cup. There are probably other players in the team that would prefer for this to be not spoken about right now," Clarke added.

I've Always Been That Person - David Warner

Speaking to reporters ahead of Australia's Super 8 game vs Bangladesh, David Warner said that his international career might be overshadowed by the ball-tampering incident rather than his achievements across formats. Warner said that he has consistently faced criticism compared to Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft.

"Coming back since 2018, I've probably been the only one that's ever copped a lot of flak. Whether it's people who don't like the Australian cricket team or don't like me, I've always been that person who has copped it," Warner told reporters.

David Warner will achieve another significant milestone in his career if Australia wins the current 2024 T20 World Cup. He has already secured major titles such as the T20 World Cup in 2021, the World Test Championship in 2023, and the ODI World Cup in 2023 following the completion of his ban period.

The Mitchell Marsh-led team remained unbeaten in the group stage of the T20 World Cup 2024. The Men in Yellow were placed in Group 1 along with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and India during the Super 8 stages of the tournament. The top two teams from Group 1 will advance to the semifinal stages of the ICC event.

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