A contrite David Warner has broken his silence on the shock return home of Jonathan Trott, saying Saturday he had no idea the England batsman was suffering a stress illness.
|Last Updated: Nov 30, 2013, 10:11 AM IST|Source: AFP
London: A contrite David Warner has broken his silence on the shock return home of Jonathan Trott, saying Saturday he had no idea the England batsman was suffering a stress illness.
Trott`s departure from the Ashes series, coming in the wake of Australia`s 381-run win in the first Gabba Test, stunned the cricket world, not least Warner, reports said.
The Australian opener had criticised Trott`s second-innings dismissal to Mitchell Johnson in Brisbane as "pretty poor and weak" after himself posting a hundred on day three of the match.
When Trott subsequently flew home with a "stress-related illness", the media focus turned back on to Warner.
He has maintained a silence since then but told Fairfax Media his thoughts were with Trott, who is back in England and taking an indefinite break from cricket.
"We didn`t know anything about an illness or what not," Warner said.
"It`s sad to see anyone go through that tough period and obviously if he`s got an illness that`s there, we hope he gets the right people to help him out.
"We know the world-class kind of batter he is: he averages 50 in Test cricket and he has been a great player, a rock for England.
"I wish him all the best and I know our team wishes him all the best. I hope he gets well soon and (is back) playing the best cricket he can."
England officials said at the time when they revealed Trott`s condition that Warner`s remarks had no impact on the batsman leaving the tour prematurely.
But Fairfax Media said England coach Andy Flower hit back at Warner while answering questions from the touring press about Trott`s exit from the tour and his top-order batsman`s predicament.
While he said Warner`s comments were not responsible for Trott`s decision to fly home, Flower had said the opener had been disrespectful in knocking another cricketer via the media.
"I think, on this occasion, he has got that horribly wrong," he said.
Warner is keen to back up his Gabba century, the fourth of his 23-Test career and the first in 12 months, with another strong showing in Adelaide, knowing he is likely to be a target for England and their fans after the acrimonious events in Brisbane.
"I was always going to cop criticism no matter what from what I said," Warner told Fairfax Media.
"As I said before, I probably stepped over that line and at the end of the day it`s cricket. We`ve got to go out there and play the best we can and as hard as we can without crossing that line."
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.