Sydney Thunder head coach Trevor Bayliss has offered his take on David Warner’s leadership traits in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) edition. Bayliss described the 38-year-old as ‘loud and obnoxious’ but claimed that the players loved those qualities.

Warner, who has extensive leadership experience in franchise cricket, replaced Chris Green as the Sydney Thunder skipper for the BBL 2024-25 edition. The Thunder are in the top four and have a real chance of winning their first trophy since the 2015-16 season.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Bayliss credited Warner for giving players plenty of confidence and opined that the southpaw’s proactiveness as captain was his biggest strength. As quoted by The Sydney Morning Herald, the 62-year-old said:

“The job he’s done as captain, it’s not just about his batting, it’s his personality. He’s always up for it, he’s a positive character. Loud, obnoxious sometimes. But the boys love it.”

“He engages with everyone and out on the field, everyone’s got confidence that he obviously knows the game and the [tactical] moves he’s made have, most of the time, been good ones. He’s a proactive captain, proactive captains seem to know what’s about to happen and make a fielding change before it happens,” he added.

The New South Welshman is the second-highest run-getter of the season with the bat so far, accumulating 346 runs in nine innings at 57.66.

“I am the person that is in the players’ faces” – David Warner

Warner also spoke to the reporters on Monday and said it was his job to raise the intensity of the players on the field. However, the veteran claimed that he was a normal person off the field.

“I’ve always said to people; ‘if you don’t like me, reach out, and I’ll have a beer with you and let you make up your mind for yourself’. I’m a father, I’m a husband. I am the captain of this team, but I’ve also got a responsibility to get the guys up and about,” Warner said (via The Sydney Morning Herald).

“There’s times on the field that people play hard, and it’s probably not what people like to see. I am the person that is in the players’ faces and the cameras are always on me. But off the field, I’m just a normal person,” he added.

The Thunder will face the Melbourne Stars in the knockout clash on January 22.