David Warner recalls the infamous incident when he punched Joe Root

Veteran Australian opener David Warner is renowned for carrying his heart on his sleeve. He takes his game very seriously and is a total live wire when on the field. However, the brash and brutal southpaw has come of ages now and can be seen as a composed character on the field these days. He has changed his focus solely to contribute to the cause of the Australian team.

Almost four years ago, it was in Birmingham when David Warner was in the news for having punched English batsman Joe Root. It was an infamous gate that brought a lot of infamy to the Aussie batsman. Now, he is back in Birmingham and set to play the same opposition again. Recalling the moment, Warner feels he has become more matured now. Things have changed a great deal since then. He credited the infamous gate for shaping him to be a better person that he is today.

“It was a learning curve for myself. I was young and now I’m old. I’ve two kids and I’m married. There’s a lot of settling down there. It definitely was (key) to me becoming the person I am today, not just the cricketer,” quoted David Warner.

“We all go through periods when we’re young and naive. It’s not about stuffing up and moving on, it’s about learning the ropes of being away on tour for such a long period of time. There are things you have to think about as a youngster: what you can or can’t I do,” he added further.

Citing examples of change, he remarked that he did not work out a great deal back then. Now, he has learnt to strike the right balance between work and life. “I probably didn’t work that out at that stage. But now I have and I have a great balance on and off the field,” said Warner as per the quotes in Times of India.

When asked what would his reaction be on seeing Joe Root again, Warner quoted, “If I see him I’ll give him a handshake.”

The Incident

The entire scene unfolded at a bar when David Warner disliked the mannerisms of Joe Root. Apparently, Warner thought Root was mocking South African batsman Hashim Amla for his beard through his actions. This prompted Warner to punch Root in his face. However, later, the English player denied any such mannerism and said his actions were about his youthful look and the inability to grow facial hair.

“People didn’t look too far or deep into it to see who was in the right or wrong. But that’s all gone, it’s in the past and we can tell a happily ever after story at the end of my career,” said Warner as he recalled the moment again.