Thursday 13 June 2013 05:47, UK
Australia stand-in captain George Bailey has defended David Warner in the wake of his suspension for an unprovoked attack on England batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar.
While Clarke's fitness continues to be a concern, Warner is also sweating over his Ashes place as an internal investigation continues. Players from both sides had been in the Walkabout pub in Birmingham after England's 48-run success at Edgbaston on Saturday, when Warner is alleged to have struck Root, who is understood to have been wearing a fancy dress wig at the time. Warner has been charged with breaking Cricket Australia's code of conduct regarding 'unbecoming behaviour' and a hearing will take place to decide on any punishment. The 26-year-old was last month fined £3,700 for a foul-mouthed tweet exchange with two Australian journalists and CA recently banned four players - including vice-captain Shane Watson - from a Test against India for failing to complete a homework assignment. But any hint that he may be sent home from England in disgrace was mitigated slightly by the fact he publicly warmed-up with the side at Edgbaston yesterday as well as carrying drinks to team-mates as 12th man. The England and Wales Cricket Board issued an official statement following the Birmingham incident which read: "The ECB confirms that David Warner initiated an unprovoked physical attack on a member of the England team in a Birmingham bar following England's 48-run victory over Australia. "Warner has admitted behaving inappropriately and has since apologised to the player involved who has accepted the apology. "Following a full investigation the England team management has concluded that the England player was in no way responsible for nor retaliated to the attack." Root, who sustained no injuries and trained happily with England at The Oval yesterday, also received the full backing of captain Alastair Cook, who took no issue with a small number of players celebrating their success in a bar. "We had two days off as a team. When the schedule allows and when it's within certain parameters it's good to let your hair down," said Cook. "We are clearly disappointed that the incident has happened, but after investigating it from our side, we don't believe we have done anything wrong. "It was unfortunate but he (Root) wants to put it behind him." A statement released on behalf of Walkabout suggested none of the players had been drinking excessively and that Warner, who was said to be known to staff at the venue, paid the bar tab.
