Photo Credit: Instagram Photo of @davidwarner31
Cricket Australia (CA) announced Friday that David Warner’s lifetime ban from holding leadership roles in Australian cricket, imposed for his role in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, has been lifted.
The opening batsman, who retired from international cricket earlier this year, was previously labeled as the ringleader of the ball-tampering scheme during the third test against South Africa in Cape Town six years ago. Known as “sandpapergate,” the scandal impacted both the nation and the team, resulting in one-year bans from elite cricket for Warner and then-captain Steve Smith, while Cameron Bancroft received a nine-month suspension.
Although Warner has not publicly discussed his involvement in the Newlands incident, he has worked on mending his relationship with CA and formally requested that his leadership ban be overturned.
CA confirmed that an independent three-member review panel had unanimously agreed Warner fulfilled the criteria for lifting the ban.
Warner, now 37, has expressed his desire to continue playing in Twenty20 leagues for a few more years. The lifted ban will enable him to captain his Big Bash League team, Sydney Thunder, and potentially take on future coaching roles within Australian cricket.
Sydney Thunder general manager Trent Copeland suggested Warner’s focus is likely more on his legacy than on immediate captaincy opportunities.
“This is far bigger than a cricket captaincy role,” Copeland said, emphasizing the significance of Warner’s leadership aspirations.
“This is leadership in a lifelong context, so any administrative role, any captaincy or coaching role in cricket.
“This is about him, his daughters in particular, and the legacy he wants to leave for his family.”
During the hearing, Warner admitted instructing Bancroft to use sandpaper to alter the ball’s condition in the 2018 match and demonstrated the method to his young teammate.
“The respectful and contrite tone of his responses … led (us) to the unanimous view that he was sincere and genuine in acknowledging responsibility for the conduct and … that he had extreme remorse,” the panel stated in its decision.
Outgoing CA chief executive Nick Hockley supported the decision, explaining that changes to the code of conduct in 2022 now allow for fair and thorough reviews of long-term sanctions for players.
“In 2022 we updated the code of conduct to ensure there was a fair and rigorous process in place for all players and player support personnel to have long-term sanctions reviewed,” Hockley said in a statement.
“I am pleased David has chosen to have his sanction reviewed and that he will be eligible to take up leadership positions in Australian cricket this summer.”
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
