Warner's wife reveals heartbreak over Hughes sledge saga

Candice Warner has opened up on the sledge that prompted her husband David to walk from the field mid-innings on Saturday.

Warner removed himself from play during Saturday’s morning session at Pratten Park in the city’s west, after a sledge from Jason Hughes, the older brother of Phillip, caused an upset.

“Everyone has their own opinion but I think there’s a difference between sledging and abuse,” Candice Warner told WWOS.

“I’m not going to go into the details, however, David was taken aback by the comments and thought they went a little bit too far – so he decided to remove himself from the game.

When asked if Warner was in fact sledged by the brother of the late Phillip Hughes, she simply replied “yes”.

Batting for Randwick-Petersham on his 32nd birthday during a fixture against Western Suburbs, Australia’s sacked vice-captain asked for permission to leave the field.

He returned to the crease and scored 157, producing his first red-ball century since the Cape Town cheating scandal.

Several media outlets claimed Hughes called Warner a “disgrace”, however AAP understands there was actually more said.

“I think he removed himself because he himself didn’t like what he was hearing and where that could have been taken,” Warner continued.

“It was hurtful, it was very hurtful.”

Warner was friends with Phillip Hughes, who tragically died after being struck on the neck during a Sheffield Shield match in 2014.

Hughes could yet be booked under the competition’s code of conduct but both clubs are keen to move on and it’s understood the umpires are unlikely to level a charge.

Warner, shielded by teammates while walking off the field at tea and stumps, refused to comment when approached.

“David is really enjoying playing for Randwick and it’s just a shame that this has taken from his great knock yesterday,” Warner said.

“He got 157, he got a century a few round ago, so he’s really enjoying playing for Randwick.

“It is just a shame that we are talking about this and not his century.”

The incident comes two days before CA releases the much-anticipated findings from reviews into its on-field and corporate cultures.

They were commissioned after Warner, captain Steve Smith and Test teammate Cameron Bancroft were banned as a result of the sandpaper debacle in South Africa.

A formal CA probe of the ball-tampering saga painted Warner as the architect of Australia’s premeditated plan to cheat, claiming he advised Bancroft how to alter the ball.

CA stripped Warner of his leadership position and alleged he failed to “voluntarily report his knowledge of the plan after the match”, whereas Smith and Bancroft came clean.

Under the conditions of their 12-month bans, Warner and Smith are barred from representing Australia or taking part in the Sheffield Shield and Big Bash League but have been encouraged to play grade cricket.

with AAP.