Ian Chappell Feels David Warner Could Have Made a Better Captain Than Steve Smith
May 2, 2019 at 11:43 AM
Former Australia skipper Ian Chappell is of the opinion that despite the controversial character and image of former Aussie vice-captain David Warner, he is a great example of understanding the game through and through and in that aspect he is literally 2nd to none. He further added that David Warner would have been a better option to succeed Michael Clarke who stepped down as the skipper of the Australian team after leading Australia to their 5th World Cup title.
It was Steve Smith who was made the skipper of the Australian team after the retirement of Michael Clarke. It was after the ball-tampering scandal, it was along with Steve Smith and David Warner who was handed 12-month ban by Cricket Australia after the infamous scandal which broke out at the Newlands in Cape Town in March last year.
David Warner was the mastermind when the trio of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft decided to alter the condition of the ball by using sandpaper. Hence after that incident, David Warner has lost his leadership duties and cannot be considered for captaincy duties of the national tea, anytime in the future. Meanwhile, Steve Smith can be appointed the skipper again but only after he has played a year in international cricket and rejoining the Australian team.
“Anybody who says Warner’s too difficult — now I’m not in the dressing room, so I don’t know — but the bit I’ve had to do with David Warner, I think he would have been a better captain than Steve Smith because he’s got a very good understanding of the game of cricket, it’s a very aggressive understanding of the game of cricket,” Chappell, a former Australia captain himself, was quoted as saying by Foxsports.com.au.
David Warner was at his sensational best during the Indian Premier League and amassed 692 runs in the tournament in just 12 matches for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. His absence in the business end of the tournament will surely come as a huge blow for Hyderabad who is on their way up in the points table and have a realistic chance of making it through to the playoffs. David Warner has already returned home to join the Australian team for preparing for the 2019 World Cup.
“I’ve spoken to him about batting, batting in general and his own batting, and he’s got a terrific understanding of batting. He did a bit of commentary with Channel 9 and I had a chance to talk to him off-air. He had a terrific understanding of the game,” he said.