When David Warner was sat in the stands in Dubai five weeks ago waving a flag, some critics might have suggested it should have been a white one.
His form for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League had been so dire, he had lost the captaincy of the side to Kane Williamson. He had lost his place in the XI, and been jettisoned from the match day squad, too.
Because of rules over how many players from each side were allowed on site at each game, that meant watching some matches on TV from the team hotel.
By the end of the campaign, he had at least made it back as far as the team’s box at the Dubai International Stadium, from where he could maintain appearances by waving an orange Sunrisers flag.
Through it all was a feeling of foreboding. Warner has form for going off the rails in times of stress in the past. And still his IPL future remains unclear.
A little before that time, Australia’s T20 captain, Aaron Finch, made a call to the team’s coach, Justin Langer. During it, he says, he made a prediction.
“Without a word of a lie, I promise you, I called Justin Langer a few months ago and said, ‘Don’t worry about Davey, he’ll be man of the tournament’,” Finch said.
“I thought Adam Zampa should have been man of the tournament personally. But [Warner] is a great player. He is one of the all-time great batters.
“He is a fighter. He is someone who, when his back is against the wall, that is when you get the very, very best of David Warner.
“It was a special, special tournament for him, especially the last couple of knocks.”
Finch’s suggestion that Warner excels in tough circumstances was evidenced in his end to the competition.
He made 89 not out in the must-win last pool match against West Indies, then a vital 49 against Pakistan in the semi-final.
In the final, he made 53 from 38 balls as Australia chased 173 to beat New Zealand with eight wickets to spare.
His effort in the final was trumped by Mitch Marsh, with whom he shared a telling alliance worth 92 for the second wicket.
Marsh was named player of the match for his 77 not out, which included the winning runs.
“[Marsh] is someone who loves a contest, loves a challenge, and we just backed him from the start,” Finch said.
“We committed to him batting No 3 for a long time, and he knew that. That is all you need sometimes, just a little bit of backing and some confidence from everybody else.
“I think it was the first ball he faced in the first practice game against New Zealand, which he also hit for six [as he did in the final].
“It showed the confidence he has, and the confidence we have in each other. It was brilliant.”
Team of the tournament
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1. Babar Azam (Pakistan, 303 runs, 126.25 strike rate) The leading run-scorer and most consistent player in the event, he also led the most thrilling side in it with great poise. Getty Images -
2. David Warner (Australia, 289 runs, 146.70 strike rate) As pointed out by his wife Candice, he was supposedly out of form, too old and too slow. Not so, it turns out. Getty Images -
3. Mohammed Rizwan (Pakistan, 282 runs, 127.72 strike rate) Has to be in our team, even if it is out of position at No 3, because of his heroics against India and getting off his sickbed for the semi-final. Getty Images -
4. Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka, 231 runs, 147.13 strike rate) Sri Lanka may have dropped off from the standards of their winning team two tournaments ago, but Asalanka is one of many reasons for optimism. AP Photo -
5. David Wiese (Namibia, 227 runs, 127.52 strike rate) Namibia were far from a one man team, but their best-known player was still outstanding in their run to the Super 12. Getty Images -
6. Jimmy Neesham (New Zealand, 86 runs, 175.51 strike rate, three wickets, 7.36 economy rate) Edges out Asif Ali from selection because of his late-over excellence with both bat and ball.Getty Images -
7. Moeen Ali (England, 92 runs, 131.42 strike rate, seven wickets, 5.50 economy rate) Continued his sparkling form from the Indian Premier League, and only just fell short of being a double winner. PA -
8. Adam Zampa (Australia, 13 wickets, 5.81 economy rate) David Warner was the official player of the tournament, but Australia’s leg-spinner must have pushed him close. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
9. Trent Boult (New Zealand, 13 wickets, 6.50 economy rate) Over the past two years of major cricket in UAE – a World Cup and one-and-a-half IPLs – there has been no more reliable performer. Getty Images -
10. Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan, seven wickets, 7.04 economy rate) There was no greater event in this tournament than the Shaheen Afridi First Over. The Rohit Sharma-KL Rahul one-two was spellbinding. AFP -
11. Josh Hazlewood (Australia, 11 wickets, 7.29 economy rate) Second highest wicket-taking seamer after Boult. Robbed of the match award in the final, when he took three for 16. Getty Images
