On Friday (21st February), after almost two years of an infamous incident of ball-tampering, Australia will play the first T20I match of the series against South Africa at their home. Ahead of the game, Australian cricketer David Warner has cleared the air about his relations with Quinton de Kock and other South African cricketers.
In March 2018, David Warner and his teammate Steven Smith were banned for ball-tampering incident that took place during the Cape Town Test. Both were the central figures of the team who had pushed Cameron Bancroft to do the job on the field.
But Warner was not only surrounded by one controversy. He was also involved in a fierce verbal battle with Proteas wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock. Thus, he was also charged for breaching Level 2 of the ICC Code of Conduct and was fined 75 per cent of his match fee (approximately $13,500) in addition to three demerit points.
On the eve of the T20I match, Warner mentioned that he will try to behave normally and respect the opponent on the field.
Obviously we’ll cross paths playing against each other. But I don’t have his number and I speak to a few of the South African guys but I’ve never played in the same team as him or anything like that,” Warner was quoted as saying by The Guardian on the eve of first T20I in Johannesburg.
“Obviously it’s a little bit different. I’m sure if I see him on the field and that, we’ll just treat each other how we normally would as respectful opponents.”
On the other hand, South African skipper de Kock expressed that they have moved on from the past.
“We haven’t had any conversations, but I think both of us have moved on,” he told reporters on Thursday. “We both just love to play the game really hard. I don’t think anything will happen, we will just carry on with the way we need to go about things.
Meanwhile, the two sides will play three T20Is and as many ODIs during the ongoing tour.