Stuart Clark: “I imagine it will be very hard for him to keep his job as vice-captain if he gets suspended”

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Former Australia pace bowler Stuart Clark believes that David Warner will be stripped of the vice-captaincy if he gets suspended.

Clark’s comments come after Warner was fined 75 percent of his match fee and handed three demerit points for his altercation with South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock on the fourth day of the first Test in Durban.

If Warner receives another demerit point in the next 24 months, he will be suspended for one Test or two ODIs/Twenty20 Internationals, whichever comes first.

“I imagine it will be very hard for him to keep his job as vice-captain if he gets suspended,” Clark told Fox Sports News. “Because it means he’s bringing the game into disrepute and he’s also bringing Cricket Australia into disrepute.

“He’s also lowering the standard of the cricket team and the standard the Australian cricket board set for the Australian cricket team. For David’s sake I hope he can keep his cool and they don’t have to have that discussion.”

While Clark expects South Africa to try and get under Warner’s skin in the second Test, which begins on Friday in Port Elizabeth, he pointed out that Australia won’t want the opening batsman to tone down his aggression.

“Be aware that they’re (South Africa) going to try and bait you and if they’re going try and bait you you’ve got to be able to deal with that,” he said. “We (Australia) want you to play hard aggressive cricket, we want you to take on the South Africans, we want you to be the leader of the intensity and the commitment and for want of a better term, the attack dog.

“But there’s also a line and you can’t cross it because you’re now right on the edge and you’re looking over the edge.”