David Warner does not rule out joining politics after cricket

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Australia batsman David Warner has shown interest in politics in a podcast on Tuesday. The 31-year-old, who recently led Australia to a T20I tri-series win in New Zealand in the absence of regular captain Steve Smith, said growing up in tough circumstances is the reason why he may join politics after cricket in order to make a difference in people's lives, especially from the lower stratum. 

It need not be reminded that Warner was also at the centre of the salary dispute between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association last year. 

"After cricket, I wouldn't mind doing something [working towards the welfare of underprivileged people]," Warner told The Final Word podcast. 

"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.

"During the 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, to get what we wanted. 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," he added. 

That's for the future. For now, a huge challenge awaits Warner and Australia as they ready themselves for a four-Test rubber against hosts South Africa.

The first Test will start on March 1 at Durban's Kingsmead.