David Warner to come out with book rubbishing cheating claims over 2018 'Sandpapergate'?

David Warner's wife and former ironwoman Candice Warner has hinted that there may still be secrets surrounding the Australian Cricket Team's involvement in the infamous 'Sandpapergate' scandal from 2018. Speaking in an interrogation scene during Channel 7’s SAS Australia, Candice hinted that when the time was right, Warner would write a tell-all book regarding the incident that shook Australia's cricketing team to its core. 

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David Warner ball tampering scandal

Australian cricketing fans were left rattled after the team's star batsmen David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft admitted to using sandpaper to alter the state of a ball used during their third Test match against South Africa in March 2018. Australia and South Africa were tied at 1-1 in the 4-match series when the camera showed Bancroft using a foreign object to tamper the ball. Back home, Bancroft got away with a nine-month suspension from cricket, while Warner and captain Steve Smith faced harsher repercussions.

Both were handed a year-long ban from all forms of the game and suffered untold horrors at the hands of the media and fans. David Warner, who was made out to be the leader of the whole scandal by Bancroft, refused to address the media at all after the ban.

Candice explained that despite multiple offers, Warner did not speak to the press as it was felt that it would hurt his chances of reintegrating with the team. He chose instead to focus on his path back to the team, and spend time with his family. However, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft both gave TV interviews about the incident some time into their bans. 

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Candice Warner opens up about life post-sandpaper gate

Opening up about the dark times that came after David Warner's involvement in the sandpaper gate scandal, Candice Warner said that “Too many people I feel are quick to make a judgment or opinions on myself or my family, like when we came home from South Africa in 2018 when there was the ball-tampering incident with the Australian cricket team.” When asked about the actual scandal Candice was quick to defend her husband, saying “No. That’s other people’s opinion. He has never said his part.” Warner's manager had recently confirmed to a media publication in Australia that the cricketer will be writing a tell-all book, which will feature the truth behind the scandal, which is unknown yet apparently.

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Candice talked about the harrowing 23-hour journey the couple and their two children made from South Africa back to Australia, saying that the media's harsh treatment of the family and the long journey led to her losing her pregnancy soon after. She said that the family had been promised a silent backdoor exit from the airport, but were instead greeted by a media scrum. She also spoke about how fans had thought it would be "funny" to mock her about an old affair she had had and the toll it took on her and the family. 

However, Warner made a successful comeback into cricket during the Cricket World Cup in 2019 finishing as Australia's highest run-getter and the tournament's second-highest run-getter after Rohit Sharma. 

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Image Credits: AP