Coaches, seniors asked David Warner to sledge opposition players, claims Usman Khawaja

David Warner’s old friend and longtime teammate Usman Khawaja revealed the Aussie opener was never as bossy and on-the-face as his reputation as a cricketer is and that on most occasions, the seniors and coaching staff around him used to direct him to get onto the opposition’s face.

A top-tier batter, perhaps one of the best across all formats, Warner had a different side, contrary to how he conducted himself post-sandpaper gate incident. That earlier side of his personality was slightly nasty, loud and ready to sledge or take down an opponent with some verbal volleys.

Meanwhile, detailing more on that, Khawaja said Warner comes across as someone (in the dressing room and personal life) more subtle than what he portrayed himself as and that he did everything for the team and his mates.

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Khawaja said like how teams and players deploy strategies to get past their opposition, being loud or rather aggressive was one that Warner used as a technique to help his team win matches.

"For a long period of time, he was in people's faces and doing stuff; but that wasn't always Davey," Khawaja said.

"He was getting told to play a certain way by the coaching staff and people around at certain points. He's such a team player. If you ask him to do something, he'll do it. That's the frustrating part when people come at him because I know he'll do anything he needs to for the team to win a game.

"Back in the day, if the team asked - or coaches or senior players [asked] - to get into the contest or sledge the other teams, he'd do it. He doesn't have to do it, but he wants to help the team, and that's how he felt he had to help the team. You've seen a very different David Warner since he's come back in 2019. He's done it his own way,” Khawaja added.

He deserves a flowery send-off

Despite being found guilty in the infamous Sandpaper Gate (in 2018), Warner has emerged as one of the mostfavourite playersfor his contribution towards Australian cricket.

Upon walking out to bat for the last time in his Test career, Khawaja revealed what it was to walk beside his old friend, who deserves every bit of flowery send-off that he has got thus far.

"We are pretty tight - probably even tighter after he missed a year of cricket because he went through a really tough time, and I always made sure he was going all right," Khawaja said.

“I always had his back. It's really good to watch that people are getting around him because I think he deserves it; I really do. I think about the journey we've been on, and it is quite emotional,” Khawaja added.