Austrаlіаn сrісket greаt Rісky Pontіng mаkes Dаvіd Wаrner ‘syndrome’ сlаіm: ‘We аll do іt’

‘Most of us have known it for a long period of time.’

Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting has made an interesting observation about retiring veteran David Warner.

Ponting coached Warner in the Indian Premier League, and wasn’t afraid to make some hard calls, dropping the batter from his Delhi Capitals’ line-up in favour of younger Aussie Jake Fraser-McGurk.

Many have questioned Warner about his never-ending farewell, and the way he has dictated the terms of his retirement.

But he keeps thumbing his nose at the critics, and just made a thumping 53 not out from 35 balls to ensure Australia won its rain-interrupted T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh in rainy Antigua.

Warner recently — and somewhat surprisingly — brought up the infamous ball-tampering scandal of 2018 that saw him suspended for a year.

And former Australian captain Michael Clarke said Warner’s Sandpapergate comments were unfair and poorly timed.

“I just don’t think it’s fair to say he’s the only one who’s copped it,” Clarke said. “(And) I just think the timing of his comments is probably not right.”

But Ponting said he sympathised with Warner.

“I can understand it and to be honest he probably has copped more of it than anybody else,” Ponting said.

“He’s got reasonably thick skin. He can take most things really well.

“But for him to come out and say it has affected him the way that it has, we should never take that stuff for granted.

“The things that happen on cricket fields, the impact they can have, not just on the player, but families as well, there’s always a bigger picture to it all.

“It’s not just about the individual, I think he and Candice (Warner’s wife) have spoken about that over a long period of time, from that one incident and other things in their day-to-day life as well.

“I’ve heard a lot from Davey recently about people making judgements about him from the way they see him play his cricket, and I think now that he’s starting to wind down, I think we’re all starting to see a slightly different side to him.

“Even opposition players and opposition teams are starting to see a different side to Davey that most of us have known for a long period of time.

“I guess we all do it. I was probably the same. When I was captain and playing I didn’t give too much away.

“The ‘helmet on, helmet off’ sort of syndrome.

“When you’re playing you’ve got the helmet on all the time and you’re very guarded.

“I think we’ve seen with Davey once he’s retired and he makes that next step of life into the media, you’ll see a totally different side to him.”

In January last year it was revealed Warner would commentate for Fox Sports.