By Richard Edwards
David Warner has always been happy to let both his mouth and batting do the talking and that shows no sign of changing after a week when the left-handed opener has dominated the Ashes airwaves.
Talk of ‘war’ and ‘hatred’ have stoked the flames of passions in both hemispheres – and the big ‘off’ is still over a month away.
But while no-one can doubt that Warner will be a typically divisive figure in this winter’s series, there’s also no question that the man from New South Wales is now speaking from a position of authority both outside and inside the Australian dressing room.
Love him or hate him, Warner is a player who has emerged from his own dark period in 2013 to become one of his country’s most respected cricketers. When the Aussies were locked in a pay dispute with Cricket Australia earlier this year, Warner was the man trotted out before the cameras to state the case that he and his team-mates believed was worth fighting for.
And when the Aussies needed someone to get their head down and bat for long periods in Bangladesh, it wasn’t Matt Renshaw who answered the call but his opening partner.
For Trent Woodhill, a long-time coach to the ultimate Marmite cricketer, Warner’s off the pitch persona coupled with his performances in both Dhaka and Chittagong in a series that Australia could easily have lost, are an indication of his maturity.
“The comments he made are the kind of comments that anyone would have made on the eve of a massive series,” says Woodhill. “Any outspoken member of the England team would have said exactly the same thing. What do you expect him to say – that the series is going to be like a tea party? What would you expect Stuart Broad to come back with if you asked him the same thing?
“The fact is that David is one of the most important members of this Australian side and a batsman who can score runs regardless of what format he’s playing. His attitude is spot-on.”
Woodhill has a point. And the fact is that, behind Steve Smith, Warner will be the wicket that England will covet above all others this winter. It’s all a far cry from when the Sydney-born star was seen as a Twenty20 specialist and someone who would never conform to the requirements of Test cricket.
His Test average, which now touches 48, is among the best in the world and, in home conditions, he is capable of dominating a series in the manner of a Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden or Steve Waugh.
The reason for his excellence is, according to Woodhill, his enduring ability to believe in his own game.
“There’s a lot of talk about technique, but it’s an over-worked and over-used word,” he says.
“He’s someone who believes in his own game and never tinkers too much. I would liken him to someone like Roger Federer or a golfer at the top of his game.
“He never worries about what he can’t do, he focuses 100 per cent on what he can do. He’s constantly drilling his game, hitting balls in the same way a golfer or tennis player would. He never changes his approach.”
And why would he?
