David Warner divides opinion with ‘pathetic’ comment about South Africa vs Australia Test

South Africa are taking on Australia in the second Test of their three-match series in Gqeberha.

David Warner has divided opinion among cricket fans with comments he made during the second Test match between South Africa and Australia in Gqeberha.

The first two days of the Test were largely washed out by persistent rain, with Australia 1-0 up in the three-match series after winning by 214 runs in Durban.

South Africa struggled early on in their stop-start innings in Gqeberha and were six wickets down for 110 early on day three. But they bounced back superbly on day three, thanks to 179 from captain Temba Bavuma, a quickfire 85 off 100 balls from Marco Jansen and a Test career-best score of 82 from Simon Harmer, to reach 479 all out. Warner was watching the action from back in Australia and gave his opinion on the action – but one of his remarks created some controversy.

Warner, the former Australia all-format opening batter, has never been afraid to speak his mind, and complained about the size of the crowd in Gqeberha.

The Kingsmead Stadium in Durban was dominated by empty seats throughout much of the five days during the first Test, and though crowds have improved in the second Test, it was still far from a full house on day three.

Warner took to Twitter to write: "We keep hearing home important Test cricket is, but where are the fans in South Africa? Empty stands, no atmosphere, and we're supposed to believe the format is thriving?

"You can't keep calling Test cricket the pinnacle of the game if no-one turns up to watch it. Harsh reality, but someone has to say it. Pathetic."

Test match attendances remain strong in England, Australia and New Zealand, while Indian crowds are much more sparse for the longer format of the game than they are for T20Is and ODIs, where matches sell out.

West Indian stadiums, meanwhile, have gone viral for being nearly empty whenever the Caribbean nation play home Test matches.

Replying to Warner, one fan wrote: "This is the result of having to play Test cricket on weekdays in the middle of spring. Of course nobody's going to show up!"

"Test cricket will always be the pinnacle of cricket," a second retorted.

"Blaming the format without looking at ticket prices, scheduling, marketing, and accessibility is missing the bigger picture," a third stated.

"I wholeheartedly blame Cricket South Africa and its poor organisation," a fourth wrote. "It's unfathomable that Australia are not playing Test cricket at either Johannesburg or Centurion."

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The low crowds across the five days in Durban was noted by cricketing authorities, with a review commissioned into why under 20,000 fans were present across five days in a stadium that holds a maximum capacity of 25,000.

The CEO of KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union (KZNCU), which administrates cricket in the Durban region, spoke of the 'disappointment' that so few fans had purchased tickets for the Test match – South Africa's first at home since July 2025.

Heinrich Strydom stated: "It is impossible to overlook our disappointment that just under 20,000 fans attended across five days.

"A Test match of this quality deserved greater support in the stands. This is something we will reflect on through a thorough internal review. We need to listen to our supporters, reconnect with our communities and continue to find ways to make Test cricket more accessible, engaging and appealing."

Ryan is a Journalist for SPORTbible who specialises in football, Formula 1, cricket and darts coverage. As a lifelong Preston North End fan, he's sadly still waiting to watch his team play in the Premier League. He has previously written for GiveMeSport, SPORF and the Lancashire Post.

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