IPL 2021: Brad Haddin discloses how David Warner handled the loss of SRH captaincy

Brad Haddin has opened up on David Warner’s unceremonious axing as Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper. The SRH assistant coach revealed his compatriot took the decision in his stride as he praised the southpaw for showing class.

David Warner was sacked as SRH skipper before the side’s last game of IPL 2021, with the franchise appointing Kane Williamson as his replacement. The decision to remove the Australian as captain has since divided opinions amongst fans and pundits alike.

Brad Haddin spoke to Fox Cricket and the SRH head coach was asked about David Warner’s reaction to the shock axing.

“He took it with class. It was a bit of a shock to everyone. Management decided to go in a different direction to try to spark something within the team. We weren’t playing to the standard we needed to. With Davey, the way he handled it was all class. He just got on back with the job,” Haddin revealed.

🚨 Announcement 🚨 pic.twitter.com/B9tBDWwzHe

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) May 1, 2021

David Warner was also dropped from the SRH side after being removed as skipper, with the Australian sitting on the bench during the Rajasthan Royals clash. His form in IPL 2021, where he had a strike rate of just 110.28, was touted as one of the reasons behind his exclusion.

SRH decided to go with a different combination in David Warner's absence, bringing in an all-rounder in the form of Mohammad Nabi in place of the opener.

Brad Haddin feels David Warner would have been back in SRH's playing XI

If Sunrisers Hyderabad decide to release David Warner ahead of the mega auction for IPL 2022, which other team should go for him?#SRH #IPL #DavidWarner pic.twitter.com/ee7kJ8bY6v

— Sportskeeda India (@Sportskeeda) May 8, 2021

With IPL 2021 postponed soon after, there wasn’t enough time to determine whether the captaincy change would have worked for SRH, who sit at the bottom of the table.

Pointing to David Warner’s temperament following his sacking, Brad Haddin feels the 34-year-old would have returned to the side in no time if the tournament had carried on.

“I dare say he would have come back in contention in the next few games. He is one of the best in the world in that form of the game. You only had to look at the way he reacted when he came onto the bench. He was around everyone, running the drinks out. He was still really vocal in the meetings. He handled a difficult situation with a lot of class,” Haddin concluded.

Both Brad Haddin and David Warner are currently in the Maldives as they wait for flights to open up so they can return to Australia.

Could we see David Warner in a different IPL jersey in the next edition? 👀Which team's colours suit the Australian opener best? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/SDkG51KVlt

— Sport360° (@Sport360) May 9, 2021