David Warner was reacting to a barb about ball tampering from the brother of fallen cricketer Phillip Hughes when he sensationally left the field while batting during a grade game on Saturday.

The Western Suburbs District Cricket Club issued a statement on Sunday saying comments from Jason Hughes towards Warner which prompted the batsman's walk-off were not in relation to his brother, who died after being struck during a Shield game in 2014.

David Warner playing for Randwick Petersham and his wife Candice Warner claiming on Channel Nine's Sports Sunday program (inset) that he left the field during a grade game because of "very hurtful" comments directed at her husband. Credit:AAP (main), Channel Nine's Sports Sunday program (inset)

Fairfax Media understands Hughes said to Warner, "You're a disgrace, you shouldn't be playing cricket." It's believed the comments were in relation to the ball tampering incident in South Africa for which Warner copped a 12-month ban from playing for his country after being found by Cricket Australia to have been the architect of the plan. He can, however, still play in grade cricket and in domestic Twenty20 leagues around the world.

Warner, who turned 32 on Saturday, has privately told people Phillip Hughes was not mentioned, a claim echoed by officials from his club Randwick Petersham.