Thank you, Warner!

A warrior A villain David Warner leaves behind a trail of unknowablesThere might be a few more boundaries and one last walk back to the pavilion with bat raised against Pakistan in his home arena at Sydney Cricket Ground this week Warner like a few others have had will fancy a grand farewell at the end of the Pakistan series maybe a big hundred at home in a victory that caps a successful seasonBut perfect endings are rare in sport and even more in cricket but Warner isnrsquot the one to underestimate his superpowers with the willow each time the situation demandsSo will end a career worth tribute for its basic markers alone 111 Tests 8695 runs 26 centuries and a batting average of 4458 and 161 ODIs 6932 runs 22 centuries a batting strikerate so close to 100 as to make it petty to note the differentialIn the annals of the sport Warners journey unfurls as a saga replete with prodigious achievements and monumental milestones crafting a resonant melody that reverberates deeply The sheer audacity with which he has orchestrated several of his innings has enraptured fans and opponents alike leaving an indelible imprint upon the cricketing firmament Yet to confine his legacy merely to statistical greatness would be an egregious oversightPerhaps beyond anything else it was a career flourishing in the face of utmost misery with his involvement in the 2018 balltampering scandal entwining Warner and his cricket career in a web of ignominy The repercussions of his involvement in the scandal cast a shadow over his reputation and elicited severe punitive measures ranging from substantial bans from international cricket to a period of exile that profoundly impacted his career trajectoryThis regrettable episode marred his otherwise esteemed career serving as a stark reminder of the perils of transgressing the ethical boundaries that underpin the spirit of lsquofair playrsquo and lsquospirit of cricketrsquo Warner endeavoured to make amends however successfully by acknowledging his wrongdoing and eventually striving to rebuild his reputation through introspection and a renewed commitment to upholding the sanctity that cricket lay claim toReflecting back on that whole period my whole career Ive got no regrets because you are going to have a lot of hurdles you are going to have to jump Theres going to be obstacles in the way but you have to move forward and Ive done that with dignityrdquo Warner was quoted as saying by AFPWhatever transpires in the next week or so there are reasons to believe that the veteran opener will be forever etched in the Australian memories Warnerrsquos reliability as an opening batsman shone through when Australia were less sure of themselves although he was also a big part of the team lifting their sixth World Cup in India Sure the top six were central to that but the opening chapter is always the key And who else but Warner His legacy transcends the mere accumulation of runs and records more of a tapestry woven with threads of resilience and an unrelenting dedication to perfectionWarners legacy is not confined to the hallowed boundaries of the cricket pitch rather it is a mosaic of brilliance patience and benevolence As the curtains draw on his illustrious career his legacy remains an enduring testament to the heights that can be scaled through talent perseverance and an unwavering will regardless of circumstancesIt wonrsquot be easy ndash all the fronting up the unrelenting scrutiny the necessary obligation the many autographs and the idea of putting his team ahead of himself Perks certainly but it is also no wonder that he is about to slump towards retirement with reliefThank you Warner