David Warner and wife Candice have opened up on the Lord’s abuse that turned the 2023 Ashes series nasty, with the under-pressure Australian opener claiming he had “never experienced anything like it”.
Candice described the experience as “pretty grubby” with both horrified by the ugly scenes that played out in the ground’s famous Long Room.
Despite facing intense scrutiny on his form, 36-year-old Warner, who has announced his intention to retire from Test cricket after January’s Sydney Test, held onto his spot for the fourth Test in Manchester, where hostilities will resume on Wednesday after a 10-day break.
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Speaking on a podcast hosted by former England players Michael Vaughan and Phil Tuffnel, Warner gave an insight into how confronting things became after Australia’s Alex Carey threw Jonny Bairstow’s stumps down in controversial circumstances.
“It was absolutely incredible, I have never experienced anything like it,” Warner told the Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket Club podcast.
“I have copped some stuff before from people, but proper grown men, mature people who are meant to be the quietest at the home of cricket, it was something to behold.
“I wish I had a microphone so people could get a sense of how loud it was in there. It was crazy. I can’t repeat it on here.”
Warner’s reaction followed details of a fresh altercation, spilled by injured off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who joked that he had to stand between Bairstow and some Australian players in the lunch room soon after the Carey stumping.
“Jonny had a few words here and there, but that’s all part of it, I’m all for it,” Lyon told the Willow Talk podcast.
“There were a few Australian guys and a few English guys in the lunchroom and I hobbled up on my crutches and stood in the middle of it and tried to calm things down a little bit.”
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Speaking on Fox Sports’ The Back Page on Tuesday night, Candice Warner added that Bairstow and Warner had been involved in a verbal altercation, with the former IPL teammates trading barbs over the spirit of cricket.
“Jonny got up and had a few words, David had a few words back at him,” she said.
“That whole Test was pretty grubby to be completely honest. It was very disappointing, even after the game when the supporters stuck around. There were players like Starcy [Mitchell Starc] and Pat Cummins trying to do their media, the vile abuse kept going.
“It wasn’t just those images [where Warner and Khawaja confronted MCC members before security intervened]. It continued up two flights of stairs to the change room and two more flights of stairs up to where the boys were having lunch. You don’t want to see that anywhere.
“There were some players who actually were touched, were kicked. Usman Khawaja was really upset at what was directed at him as well.”
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