'I've got no regrets' - David Warner reflects on his career and infamous ball-tampering scandal

In a candid press conference on Monday, January 1, David Warner, the Australian cricket stalwart, addressed the media ahead of his farewell Test match against Pakistan, starting January 3.

The left-handed opener, who recently announced his retirement from ODI cricket, took the opportunity to reflect on his illustrious career and the infamous ball-tampering scandal that marred it. Warner, anticipating the inevitable question about the 2018 scandal, asserted, 

"I knew a question like this was going to come up," Warner said as quoted by India Today. Despite the tumultuous period, he expressed no regrets about his career, emphasizing that he has moved on from the controversy with dignity.

The cricketer acknowledged the unwavering support from his wife Candice and those around him during the challenging times. Reflecting on the year-long ban imposed in the aftermath of the scandal, Warner shared,

"When I left Africa, the first five or six people that came up to me were priests and gave me a card. Then we went on a holiday to Singapore after that and there was a big church convention. I then sat back and spoke to Candice, and said someone is clearly watching down upon us."

Warner emphasized the lessons learned during this period, highlighting the importance of spending quality time with family. 

"Reflecting back on that whole period, my whole career, I've got no regrets because you are going to have a lot of hurdles you are going to have to jump. There's going to be obstacles in the way, but you have to move forward and I've done that with dignity. I've got a lot of passion for the game and it was important from my perspective that I'm giving back, making sure that I gained the respect back but making sure I'm putting Australian cricket first. I want every young kid who wants to play cricket to dream of playing for Australia and that's what was really important for me when I came back," the opener said.

When I look back at that, it could have been handled differently: Warner

Addressing the leadership ban imposed by Cricket Australia, Warner accepted the decision and expressed contentment with moving forward. He shared insights into his evolving perspective on leadership, stating, 

"When I look back at that, it can be handled differently. But I think Nick (Hockley, CA's chief executive) did his ultimate best to put that forward to the board and the decision was made, and I'm happy with that. I've moved forward from that. I've got opportunities to lead in the IPL, to lead in the ILT20. I've enjoyed my leadership roles."

"But for me, in recent years, I've learned that leadership (isn't about) wearing a captain or vice-captain badges. It's about being true to yourself, setting an example both on and off the field. For me, I think I'm a leader in this team no matter what. You don't need that C or VC next to your name," he concluded.