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David Warner may return as captain if ‘truly reformed’ after sandpaper saga, as Cricket Australia prepares to offer Australian star a leadership lifeline after approving a revision of their own code of ethics
- David Warner must show ‘real reform’ if he wants to return to a leadership role
- Cricket Australia has confirmed they are reviewing their code of ethics
- The Sydney Thunder wants to name Warner captain for the Big Bash season
- Meanwhile, there is also a vacancy for captain’s armband on the ODI side of the national team
- Warner’s relationship has heated up since the infamous sandpaper scandal
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A Cricket Australia review will try to change their code of ethics so that David Warner must prove he is ‘truly reformed’ if he wants to return to a leadership role.
Warner, 35, is serving a lifetime ban from any cricket captaincy after his role as ‘leader’ in the sandpaper scandal that tarnished Australian cricket in 2018.
An investigation revealed that Warner had instructed a young player, Cameron Bancroft, to try and alter the condition of the ball with sandpaper, and advised him on how to do it.
David Warner could be given a route back to captain despite his lifetime leadership ban
After undergoing a playing suspension, Warner has returned to the international scene with ease, impressing teammates with his leadership skills in all formats.
As a result, his name has been associated with the ODI captaincy, with long-serving skipper Aaron Finch stepping down from the role. Warner’s Big Bash T20 side, Sydney Thunder, also made a request to CA if he could take on their captaincy for the upcoming season.
But because of his lifelong suspension, there is no chance that Warner can be considered a leadership position at the moment. However, at a meeting in Hobart on Friday, Cricket Australia confirmed that they would be reviewing their code of ethics in an effort to provide Warner with a path back to a leadership role.
Warner is currently ineligible as he is serving a lifetime ban from all leadership positions
He turned out to have been a ‘leader’ in the sandpaper scandal that rocked cricket
Among the requirements proposed to overturn Warner’s ban is the need for the 35-year-old to show “real reform.”
“The Cricket Australia board met today and one of the topics discussed was a possible change to the code of conduct regarding long-term sanctions,” CA said in a statement.
“The amendment would allow an individual to request a fine that he had accepted, which would be reviewed after an appropriate period of time.
“Currently, the code states that once a charge and fine has been accepted, there is no opportunity for review. It is up to the applicant to prove that he has undergone genuine reform relevant to the offense for which he is sanctioned.
“A review would not revise the original sanction, except for the suspension of a sentence in recognition of genuine reforms. The board has asked the head of CB to propose an amendment to the code for consideration.
CA will revise its code and Warner could be reinstated if he shows ‘real reform’ (Photo: CA President Lachlan Henderson)
“It has been agreed that if a long-term sanctions change is adopted, any review of a fine will be heard by an independent code of conduct committee.”
Warner’s relationship with Australian cricket’s governing body has heated up in recent months after he signed a lucrative deal to return to the Big Bash for the first time in more than a decade.
On Thursday, CA chairman Lachlan Henderson said of Warner: “The view within Cricket Australia is that David is doing extremely well on the pitch and making a tremendous contribution off the pitch.
“The first step in terms of David’s leadership ban is to review the code and see if those sanctions can be reviewed.
“And the proper revisions to that code that should be made.”