After facing five out of six matches, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) went for a big change and decided to remove David Warner from the captain’s post. The team management handed over the leadership responsibility to Kane Williamson.
Ahead of their game against Rajasthan Royals (RR), SRH also took another shocking decision as they benched Warner to make way for Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi in the playing XI. Warner did not have a fruitful outing in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, scoring only 193 runs at an average of 32.16 and a strike rate of 110.28.
SRH Director of Cricket, Tom Moody, revealed how Warner felt after being sacked as the captain of ‘Orange Army’. Moody asserted that Warner was ‘shocked and disappointed’ like any other player after receiving such news.
“We had to make the hard call. Somebody has to miss out, and unfortunately, it’s him. He’s shocked and disappointed. Anyone would be disappointed. He has come to terms with the logic behind what we want to achieve from a franchise’s perspective,” said Moody before the start of the RR vs SRH match.
“He has rallied around the team, and more importantly, the team has rallied around him. I don’t think what’s happened in the past isn’t as relevant, and we have made some significant changes in the group in the last 24-48 hours,” he added.
Moody further explained the decision not to feature Warner in the playing XI, stating that it was a tactical move in order to play two spinners. The former Australian coach said the management wanted an all-rounder to assist Rashid Khan to make the best combination. Moody asserted that Williamson and Jonny Bairstow are obvious choices for batters, and hence Warner was left out from the final XI.
“Firstly, he’s not going to be playing in this particular game. It’s purely a decision based on the combination. We’ve come to a conclusion that at this stage, we feel that the two overseas bat (batsmen), an all-rounder, and Rashid Khan is our best combination. We looked at it very closely,” said the 55-year-old.
“Obviously, Bairstow’s form and Kane Williamson’s form are at a great height, and we are very thrilled that they are playing the way they are. We had to make a hard call, and someone had to miss out. Unfortunately, for Davey (David Warner), on this occasion, it’s him,” concluded Moody.
