AFTER the past couple of days it seems as likely to succeed as Mal Meninga’s foray into politics, but David Warner has expressed interest in a move into the public service after cricket.
At the centre of a verbal stoush that has ignited the Test series between Australia and South Africa, Warner has a long and colourful history of altercations.
The latest furore, which included an ugly confrontation with South African keeper Quinten de Kock and saw Warner labelled a “fool” and a “bully” by past Proteas players, has led to calls for the 31-year-old to be dropped from the Australian team.
But on the eve of the Durban Test he told the Final Word podcast a childhood spent doing household chores and helping to pay the rent had instilled in him the value of looking out for those in need.
It’s why he led the fight in the recent players’ pay dispute with Cricket Australia, another process which whet his political appetite.
“I’ll probably have to get a home tutor for a couple of things, with my filter,” Warner said.
“Look it’s just one thing that has been embedded in me since a young age is that I grew up in a housing commission … As a kid, I had to do everything at home with my brother just because my parents worked all the time. So whether it was dishes, ironing — all the normal things you do at home. Once I was able to go and work, I went and worked because we needed that money coming in to pay the bills. Me and my brother both paid a bit of rent when we were younger and I just liked looking out for anyone who was close to me.
“During the pay dispute, it was a tough situation, you had your employers who were going up against our union and the players. So, I thought I needed to have a stance somewhere because at the end of the day, I want to play cricket for my country but for us to get a result or something in the middle — a happy medium — we had to fight for that. I am a believer in what I believe in. So, that was our belief. I sit back now and go, ‘I probably regret how the situation was played out in the media.’ And we do as players.
“But, if you believe in something you are going to have to fight for it and I wasn’t going to stand down because we needed someone out there to speak about it. You can sit back and do what you like but you don’t get anywhere unless someone speaks up and does something.”
Back to your question about after cricket, I wouldn’t mind doing something. But to that extent? I think I might keep my mouth shut a little bit.”
Despite often finding himself in trouble, Warner has made a habit of proving people wrong during his career.
He triumphed over attempts to pigeonhole him as a limited overs specialist after he debuted for the Australian T20 before even playing a first-class match for NSW.
He also recovered from being dropped from the Australian ODI side after infamously punching English batsman Joe Root at a Birmingham pub in 2013 to be named Steve Smith’s vice-captain.
His growing stature in the team also saw him take the reins of the T20 team in a recent tri-series against New Zealand and England that was extremely successful.
But a politician? Maybe ask Mal first.
