Dear David Warner (AKA “Davey” or “The Bull”, previously AKA “The Reverend”),
Lean forward and listen closely, for I will say this only once.
Here’s the thing, old bean: You are the father of two very young daughters. As it stands, they will reach adulthood and - when your career ends - read and hear mostly negative opinions and critiques from your modern-day teammates, opponents, cricket fans and journalists.
It is no secret that you are immensely disliked by a large section of the cricket community. It is to your distinct disadvantage of course that almost all of your disciplinary breaches, episodes and associated outbursts are now recorded on film - stored for posterity, as they say. However, for every positive with you, there is inevitably comes a negative. Frankly, there are too many of them in an international career which has spanned a decade or so.
Your behaviour during the Durban Test - particularly the gutless, appalling, imbecilic torrent of abuse directed at Aiden Markram - is amongst the worst I’ve seen from an Australian cricketer in my 28 years of following the game.
What you don’t quite grasp is that unless you change your conduct, you are a very serious accident waiting to happen. You don’t know when someone is simply going to snap, either on the field or off it. Again, though: would you have had the courage to “verbal” Virat Kohli in the same way that you did to Aiden Markram? What about Ben Stokes? Carlos Brathwaite or Kieron Pollard? I suggest not.
When next you take to the cricket field - hell, when next you publicly represent your country - think of those two toddlers that you so adore. Is the current version of David Warner the one they will be proud of in years to come?
Sincerely
Matty76
