David Warner sent shockwaves through the entire cricketing fraternity as he chose to withdraw his appeal for overturning his leadership ban on Wednesday. Warner penned an 800-word statement on Instagram blaming the review panel for the infamous ball-tampering saga that took place during the Australia vs South Africa Cape Town Test in 2018. In a new development, legendary Australia cricketer Ian Healy has made explosive revelations regarding that controversial day in Cape Town.
The former wicketkeeper has revealed that he was in fact inside the dressing room when he saw people instructing certain players to do what was needed. Healy, who was part of the commentary panel in that series almost five years ago, came up with some rather stunning revelations as to what he saw transpire inside that change room.
“I went into the dressing room that day. Mark Taylor and I went from our commentary box in Hobart to the dressing room to support the boys because they’d had a real failure against South Africa and that’s where five players were chopped. We went in that day and it would’ve happened that day where they were spoken to by unnamed people and said ‘we don’t pay you to do anything but win’ and that was the attitude that came out, which wasn’t good,” he told SEN Radio.
With Warner and the panel currently at loggerheads, Healy hopes the matter does not involve a further public hearing. Terming Warner’s lifetime ban ‘unfortunate’, Healy believes it’s better for both parties to resolve their conflict away from the eye of the public.
“Warner has saved cricket here. That panel were going to air cricket’s problems. Why would they do that? Every other aspect of their negotiations, with the Australian Cricketers Association for example, are endeavouring to stay behind closed doors. Get the job done, no matter what it takes, behind closed doors. I agree with David Warner that it doesn’t need to be in public,” added Healy.
Earlier, there were reports that Warner would be made the captain of the ODI team following the retirement of Aaron Finch. However, the review of the ban took a really long time and Warner finally withdrew his appeal claiming that the panel wanted to make the hearing public, and calling it “a public lynching”.
