David Warner’s punch thrown at England batsman Joe Root wasn’t the only time the Australian batsman has been seen out late drinking during the Champions Trophy tournament in England.
And, while Warner’s immediate cricketing future is in limbo pending a Cricket Australia (CA) disciplinary hearing by teleconference hookup to Melbourne on Thursday night AEST, the affair has raised concerns about a possible leadership vacuum in the national squad.
Stand-in captain George Bailey acknowledged on Wednesday he knew about the Warner-Root incident days earlier but described it as “very minor”.
His admission raises questions why CA waited until the morning of their match against New Zealand on Wednesday to take action and stand Warner down, charging him with unbecoming conduct.
Following the retirement of senior players Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey and with skipper Michael Clarke away getting treatment on his back in London, there appears to have been a leadership breakdown.
Several eye-witnesses close to another national team at the Champions Trophy confirmed Warner was also out until the early hours of Tuesday morning – less than 36 hours before the crucial clash with New Zealand.
“Our bar staff are quite familiar with David’s face,” said John Creighton, manager of Birmingham’s The Walkabout bar where the incident occurred on Saturday night.
It’s fair to say Australia’s Ashes preparations are in turmoil and, if Australian management are to be consistent in trying to stamp out ill-discipline, Warner can expect firm punishment.
Although the Australian camp say the Warner-Root incident was minor, CA set a precedent for hard-line action when standing down four players, including then vice-captain Shane Watson, on the tour of India in March for simply not submitting opinions on how to improve the team as required by coach Mickey Arthur.
Warner was fined $5,750 just three weeks ago for an incident where he abused two Australian journalists on Twitter while in India at the IPL.
Former Test player and international cricket coach Tom Moody raised concerns about the leadership issue while doing commentary for the BBC on Wednesday.
“(Clarke’s) not even here. So that makes it even harder. He’s in London,” said Moody.
“On a mobile phone it’s a little bit different to having the presence of him in the dressing room and presence of him around the breakfast table.
“Australian cricket has lost a lot of leaders over the past couple of years. And that behaviour and that attitude and maybe lack of respect of what is important in a team dynamic is being lost.”
At least six Australian players including Warner and England players, including Root and Stuart Broad, were at The Walkabout on Saturday night in a sectioned-off VIP area following England’s Champions Trophy win over Australia.
Players were involved in friendly banter and were reportedly drinking heavily.
Sources suggest Warner reacted to Root turning a wig he was wearing into a beard, allegedly imitating South African player Hashim Amla.
However, the England Cricket Board were unequivocal in saying Root was without blame and that Warner’s punch was unprovoked.
Root and Broad immediately left and Warner sent Root a text message a couple of hours later to apologise. Root accepted the apology.
Warner’s on-field form of late has also been poor, making just one half-century in his past 10 innings.