Fresh off the back of his stunning double century against South Africa, David Warner will be the latest superstar to join the Fox Cricket commentary team.
The announcement comes fresh off the back of Foxtel Group’s monster $1.512 billion deal with Cricket Australia to remain the home of Australian cricket until 2031.
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Warner now adds his name to the incredible Fox Cricket roster, which boasts Adam Gilchrist, Isa Guha, Mike Hussey, Allan Border, Mark Waugh, Kerry O’Keeffe, Brett Lee, Brendon Julian, Mel Jones, Mark Howard and Kath Loughnan.
Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany was delighted to have Warner, one of Australia’s greatest opening batsmen of all time, join the Fox Cricket team.
“I think it’s not possible to replace Shane (Warne) and Andrew (Symonds),” Delany told media at the SCG after the groundbreaking rights announcement.
“We’ve thought long and hard about what we might do with the coverage. When you’ve got names like Gilchrist and Guha, Hussey, Border, Waugh, Mel Jones, it’s a very, very big team.
“If you had one shot though at a commentator of the current crop to replace those two, you’d probably have to say Dave Warner is the name.
“He’s a brawler, he’s a fighter, he’s exciting. From the moment he stepped out on the patch, I remember in the Big Bash in 2011 when he first came to real dominance, we’re very glad that we’ve now signed him for now and the future.
“I think he’ll be a very, very good cricket commentator.”
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Fox Sports Executive Director Steve Crawley believes the excitement Warner has brought to the game as a player will undoubtedly carry over into the commentary booth.
“When he (Warner) came out to bat you could double your audience. He made cricket exciting.
“And he’s the same in the twilight of his career as he was in the beginning — a swashbuckling, fearless individual.
“I’ve been around sports broadcasting a long time and believe David Warner is made for commentary the same he was made to open the batting.”
Given Warner’s status as a current player occupied with the Test team and then the Big Bash with the Sydney Thunder, Delany noted Warner isn’t able to fully throw himself into commentary life just yet.
But Delany noted that once Warner hangs up the gloves for good, he’ll be in the booth full-time.
“We’re using him at the moment, he sporadically comes on,” Delany said.
“When he chooses to retire, he’ll come on with us.”
Delany also confirmed Warner’s deal as a Fox Cricket commentator will run for “as long as he (Warner) wants”.
After posting a double century against South Africa in the Boxing Day Test, which doubled as his 100th Test for Australia, Warner will look to keep the good times rolling as the Aussies and the Proteas face off in the Third Test at the SCG beginning on January 4.
