Peter Lalor in The Australian 21 May 2013
DAVID Warner will tomorrow face charges of breaching Cricket Australia’s code of behaviour after engaging in a very public Twitter spat with a journalist. The Test opening batsman will appear via video conference before a commissioner as he is on a flying visit to Australia. Warner is on his way home from a stint with the Delhi Daredevils but flies out soon after to play for Australia in the Champions Trophy.
Warner and News Limited’s veteran cricket writer Malcolm Conn were involved in a heated exchange. The cricketer levelled abuse at Conn and his colleague Robert Craddock after an article the latter had written about the IPL. Warner was upset to be featured in a photograph above Craddock’s story about corruption in the controversial tournament. Three Indian players, including Test bowler Sreesanth, were charged with spot fixing in the IPL last week and Indian police are understood to be investigating other incidents. Warner apologised to Conn, who says there are no hard feelings, and Conn has urged Cricket Australia not to be hard on the player.
Mark Waugh believes the cricketer needs to learn not to react to criticism. “I mean it’s not a good look for David Warner. I think it’s the second or third time he’s sort of tweeted out some words which haven’t been that smart,” Waugh told SEN radio yesterday. He’s got to learn from this. It’s not the ideal situation you want to see from supposedly one of your senior players. He’s probably got to get a thicker skin.”