David Warner has arrived home in Sydney, breaking his silence on Australia’s ball-tampering saga with an apology via social media before promising to talk more in coming days.
Comforted by his wife Candice and intent on getting his two young daughters to bed, Warner stopped briefly to talk to journalists upon his near-midnight arrival at Sydney airport on Thursday.
“As you can understand, it’s been a tough and an emotional time for my wife and the kids,” Warner said when asked if he’d heard about Darren Lehmann’s decision to quit as Australian coach in the continuing fallout from the ball-tampering scandal.
“At this present time, you’ll hear from me in a couple of days. “At the moment, my priority is to get these kids in bed and rest up and let my mind be clear so I can think and talk to you in a couple of days.”
Earlier on Thursday, the disgraced opener issued a statement on social media while en route back from South Africa after being handed a 12-month ban alongside Steve Smith for his role in the scandal.
He took to Twitter to apologize after he was accused of being the instigator of ball tampering scandal by Cricket Australia.
“Mistakes have been made which have damaged cricket,” Warner wrote. “I apologise for my part and take responsibility for it. I understand the distress this has caused the sport and its fans. “Its a stain on the game we all love and I have loved since I was a boy. “I need to take a deep breath and spend time with my family, friends and trusted advisers. You will hear from me in a few days.”
— David Warner (@davidwarner31) March 29, 2018
Warner has endured a difficult week since he plotted and instructed Cameron Bancroft to tamper with the ball with sandpaper on the third day of the Cape Town Test against South Africa.
