Australian cricket’s explosive opening batsman David Warner, who announced his retirement from international cricket earlier this year, has received significant relief from Cricket Australia through a recent decision. Following the infamous sandpaper incident during the Cape Town Test against South Africa in 2018, Warner faced a ban and was given a lifetime restriction on captaining any team in the country. However, Cricket Australia has now lifted this ban.
Warner Could Captain Sydney Thunder in Big Bash League
With this new decision from Cricket Australia, David Warner, who is part of the Sydney Thunder team in the upcoming Big Bash League season, may take on the captaincy responsibility. In a statement issued by Cricket Australia, it was noted that the conduct commission, which included a three-member panel, unanimously decided that Warner meets the necessary criteria for lifting the ban after the changes to the Code of Conduct in 2022. The panel considered Warner’s acknowledgment of his mistake and the subsequent change in his behavior in making this decision.
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Warner Has Long Requested the Lifting of His Ban
When the sandpaper scandal broke, Warner was involved alongside Steve Smith. Both players were handed a one-year ban by Cricket Australia, while Smith was also barred from captaining for two years.
Warner, on the other hand, faced a lifetime ban from captaining any team in Australia. After serving his one-year ban and returning to international cricket, Warner had been consistently requesting Cricket Australia to lift the captaincy ban. Now, after a lengthy six-year period, Cricket Australia has granted Warner significant relief.