AUSSIE AGGRO
What a surprise... it’s Warner at centre of a tunnel bust-up with South Africa!
AUSTRALIA vicecaptain David Warner and South Africa’s Quinton de Kock are being investigated by the ICC after an amazing off-field bust-up.
CCTV footage from the players’ tunnel showed Warner and De Kock involved in a fiery exchange during the tea break on the fourth day of the first Test in Durban.
The video shows Warner being restrained by team-mates Usman Khawaja and Nathan Lyon as he directs a verbal barrage at De Kock.
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis then emerges from the dressing room to try to calm the situation, followed by Australia captain Steve Smith and other Aussie players also trying to defuse the bust-up.
After Australia had wrapped up a 118-run win yesterday, Smith accused De Kock of starting the row by making a personal remark about Warner’s wife Candice.
‘Those sorts of things are not on from both sides,’ Smith said. ‘Getting personal is not on. We were very chirpy in the field as well but as far as I know, we didn’t get personal with Quinton.
‘What he said got a bit personal towards Davey and it provoked an emotional response.’
Du Plessis said: ‘If you chirp each other, it’s always on the field. There need to be boundaries, it needs to stay on the field.’
Warner had already directed a verbal volley at Aiden Markram after the Proteas opener took the blame for the running out of AB de Villiers.
Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith criticised Warner as ‘a bit of a fool’ but Markram, who went on to score 143, played down the sledging.
Despite the bust-up and the bitter feel to the series, there was no sign the sledging will calm down.
‘That’s how we play our best cricket,’ Smith said. ‘We’re aggressive. We’re hunting as a pack.’
Meanwhile, Nathan Lyon has been charged by the ICC for dropping the ball on the grounded De Villiers after running out the South African. De Villiers made a despairing dive but was well short as Lyon whipped off the bails. Lyon leapt over him in celebration, dropping the ball on De Villiers as he wheeled away.
Lyon apologised to De Villiers after the game but accepted the offence and has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee.