Birthday special: David Warner – Lesser known facts about the Australian dasher

There have been plenty of dashing openers in Australian cricket over the years, but none more prolific as David Warner across all formats. Warner made his international debut in 2009, and he is considered a white-ball specialist. The southpaw took to Tests like a fish to water and after making his debut in red-ball cricket in 2011, he has been one of the leading run-scorers for Australia in the format. On his 37th birthday, we list some of the lesser-known facts about him:

An impulsive figure during his early playing days

If you have watched David Warner play, then you are aware of his tremendous work ethic on the pitch, whether as a batter or a fielder. But an incident in 2013 highlights his casual approach in his younger days. Two years after making his Test debut, Warner missed a grade cricket match in favour of watching horse racing. The southpaw was handed a one-game ban for his action.

“Warner was expected to play for Randwick Petersham against Northern Districts but withdrew, claiming a need to spend time on batting practice. However, later that day he was pictured at Sydney’s Randwick Racecourse,” a BBC report established.

A wordsmith off the field

David Warner co-authored the ‘Kaboom Kid’ book series from 2014 to 2016. The stories in the books are loosely based on Warner’s childhood with most of them being a work of fiction in an attempt to inspire the next generation of kids in the country. The series of eight books were published by Simon and Schuster Australia.

 A humble upbringing

David Warner is one of the most successful cricketers in the world, boasting numerous records on the pitch, along with several assets off the field. His net worth of $11.5 Million is boosted by numerous contracts with franchises all across the globe. But it wasn’t as rosy for the cricketer during his childhood as his parents struggled to even fulfill the most basic of needs.