Spending valuable time with family meant a lot to me - Warner

"For me, the most important thing is that I spent a lot of time with my family which meant a lot to me. They play a significant role in what I do" - Warner.

David Warner, the swashbuckling Australian batsman, has paddled through a difficult phase in recent times. The seasoned opener was suspended for 12 months by Cricket Australia for his role in the ball-tampering saga in the Test match against South Africa in Cape Town last year.

Since the suspension, Warner has been plying his trade for franchise-based leagues across the cricketing landscape. The veteran cricketer talked about a range of issues including the difficult phase he has had to endure since his suspension and the recently-concluded Test series between India and Australia.

The interview was conducted on the sidelines of the BPL when Warner was playing for Sylhet Sixers.

What is your injury status?

It didn't happen yesterday (elbow injury). It is something that flared up and I have got fluid in my joint. For now, I have got to go home and assess and see how it goes. It was like a niggle and all of a sudden fluid just came into my joint. It's just a flare up of something unknown and so I have to go home and assess and see what I have to do as a precaution because I have done everything here. I have iced it and taken anti-inflammatory (injections), and it just seems like the swelling isn't going down. So now at the moment I will go home and probably get further scanned and see what is happening. Once I am assessed, I am going to release a statement saying whether I am going to return or if I am out for a little more time. I am not sure.

After the one-year suspension was handed out, how hard it has been to wade through a difficult phase?

It's tough when you are not playing. But, for me, the reality is there is lot more to life than just cricket. We live in a bubble. For us, there is lot of stuff like we are always on a routine. You go to training, then you play cricket, you return and go to sleep, you get back up in the morning again, you pack your bag, you fly for the next destination and you get back at it again. I am doing that for the last six to seven years for all three formats. You got time to reflect and refresh.

For me, the most important thing is that I spent a lot of time with my family which meant a lot to me. They play a significant role in what I do. The sacrifices of my wife and my children for me to allow me to play the game of cricket, the game that I love, helped me massively in the last 10 months. I am back in the park playing franchise cricket and I am getting good experience and exposure to different conditions around the world. It's great that you are a part of that and there are world class players playing in this tournament.

How much do you miss your Australian teammates?

I miss everyone. You are always going to miss people. That is what is great about franchise cricket. You create different friendships and that's bringing team harmony and environment.

Do you believe you and Smith could have changed the course of the recently-concluded Test series against India?

I can't say what would have happened if I and Smith were there because we were not there. I can only judge the way India were playing because they played very well. They outplayed us. Tim Paine said it could have gone either way with the series scoreline. (I) couldn't get to watch too much of it at home because I was busy. But of what I saw, India played well. Obviously, Australia did not bat as well as they would have liked. And with the bowling, they didn't take early wickets and India went top of that. The credit goes to the way Pujara batted because he pretty much won the series for India. He batted so well. He had the temperament to bat the whole game. He batted 300 to 400 balls every time he batted and that is his gameplan. He was the difference and the bowlers were fantastic.

Are you expecting a call-up immediately after the suspension period ends as there is an upcoming series against Pakistan in April?

I have to wait and hear what Cricket Australia have got for me at the moment. I take one step at a time and play the next two games here. Then go home and get assessed (as to) what the issues are with the tear and play my cards as it is.

What will be your biggest challenge when you return to the Australian setup?

I just got to make a comeback and score runs because that is my job. If I get selected, I will try to score runs and play to the best of my ability and do the things that I always do. My job is to score runs, to be energetic, to lead in the field and that's what I have always done. I will continue to do that.

Do you believe the punishment handed out in relation to the ball-tampering saga was too much?

The board handed us the punishment for the reasons of what they thought was fair and we accepted that.

Did you ever think that your international career might get over?

My international career gets over.... no.

Would you like to play in the BPL again?

It depends on the schedule of international cricket, if I am playing international cricket. I wouldn't be here playing BPL, if I am not interested in playing BPL.