David Warner has opened up on his firery exchange with Quinton de Kock, saying the South African wicket keeper made a “vile and disgusting” comment about his wife at tea on day four of the test in Durban.
Warner narrowly escaped suspension but was fined 75 percent of his match fee and given three demerit points for his scuffle with de Kock where he needed to be retrained by his teammates.
The Australian vice-captain has stated that he will always defend his family, but he does regret how the situation played out.
"I cop it left, right and centre, especially off the field from spectators and I'm used to that and it doesn't bother me," Warner said.
"But in a proximity of my personal space and from behind me, a comment that was vile and disgusting about my wife, and in general about a lady, was quite poor I felt.
"My emotional response was just something that I don't believe should have been said and I'll always stick up for my family and in that case my teammates as well."
CCTV footage from the stairwell and outside the rooms shows Tim Paine and Usman Khawaja having to physically restrain Warner from taking things further with de Kock but he admits he had no intention of getting physical with the Proteas gloveman.
Warner says that de Kock made the comment under his breath, only loud enough for him and Paine to hear as they were approaching their dressings rooms but then claimed to not have said anything once more of his teammates appeared.
"At the end of the day, we're all men and if you're going to say something you look at someone in the eye and say it," Warner stated.
On the South African side, team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee claimed Warner “definitely” got personal with his sledges after rumours circled he made comments about de Kock’s sister.
Warner denied these claims.
After accepting the charges surrounding his encounter with the South African, Warner is only one minor indiscretion away from copping a suspension from international cricket.
After much public scrutiny about his behaviour on and off the field, the Australian batsman believes he has made significant improvements in recent times.
"You guys have seen the past 18-24 months how I conduct myself on the field," Warner said.
"What happened the other day was not appropriate and I responded a tad emotionally.
"But I think I've been fantastic the last 18-24 months.
"I play with aggression on the field and I try not to cross that line and it has been in the past that I have sort of been fiery.
"But I don't think whatsoever there on the field that I have ever crossed that line.
"That's how I play my cricket; I live by the sword and die by the sword.
"I'll keep playing with that energy and making sure I am the voice in the team to keep our guys motivated on the field, that's for sure."
The second Test of the series starts tomorrow in Port Elizabeth and there is sure to be some heat between teams, but Warner thinks it would be “quite poor” if the Proteas continued to be as personal as they were in Durban.
"I can't see anyone else making comments the way he made them, which were outright disgusting," Warner said.
"As I said, it's a thing you wouldn't say about any lady, especially someone's wife or a player's wife."
