Hyderabad:Lifetime leadership ban imposed on David Warner by Cricket Australia after the ball-tampering scandal in 2018. The 37-year-old presented his appeal in front of a three-person panel which found that all criteria to remove the ban are met. The panel considered the left-hand batter’s "respectful and contrite tone" and his acceptance of responsibility for his actions.
"The respectful and contrite tone of his responses, as well as the content, impressed the Review Panel and led it to the unanimous view that he was sincere and genuine in acknowledging responsibility for the conduct and in his statement that he had extreme remorse for his conduct," the panel stated.
"Mr Warner's conduct and behaviour since the imposition of the sanction has been excellent and he appears to have made a substantial change, one example of which is that he no longer sledges or tries to provoke the opposing team.
With the upliftment of the ban, Warner can now pursue leadership roles including with his Big Bash League team, Sydney Thunder. Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley said that the left-handed batter will be allowed to take leadership roles in future.
"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."
Warner was at the centre of the sandpaper-gate incident that occurred in 2018 in the Test match between Australia and South Africa. Then-captain Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft conspired with Warner to alter the surface of the ball with the help of the sandpaper. The cricketer was suspended for a year and was handed a lifetime ban from the leadership ban.
Warner included references from current Australian captain Pat Cummins, coach Andrew McDonald, and former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson to present his case.
