David Warner was unaware his manager was going to make explosive accusations about Sandpapergate
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David Warner DID NOT KNOW his manager was going to make explosive allegations about Sandpapergate and carried out his own statement on the leadership ban without telling him.
Australian Test opener David Warner was reportedly unaware of his manager’s wild allegations against senior cricket officials this week and did not consent to the statements being made.
The under siege veteran of the Australian cricket team was banned for 12 months in 2018 after a Cricket Australia investigation into the ball-tampering incident in Cape Town in South Africa.
Then-captain Steve Smith was also suspended for 12 months, while batsman Cameron Bancroft, caught on camera stuffing sandpaper down his pants, received a nine-month suspension.
David Warner is currently playing in a Test series against the West Indies and has withdrawn his request for a review of his leading ban.
Warner was also banned from holding any leadership position in Australian cricket for life.
The veteran batsman had launched a review of that ban after Cricket Australia’s Code of Conduct was amended in November to allow players to apply for an amendment to long-term sanctions.
He has since withdrawn that review and issued a lengthy statement in consultation with his lawyers and the Australian Cricketers Association without involving his manager James Erskine.
David Warner’s manager, James Erskine, made extraordinary claims on radio about the 2018 ball-tampering incident
Erskine had made sensational claims on SEN Radio this week that more people were involved in the ball-tampering incident than Warner, Smith and Bancroft.
He claimed the ball-tampering saga began in Hobart in 2016 when Australia lost to South Africa and top executives ordered players to alter the condition of the ball.
‘[Two officials] in the Hobart locker room [in 2016] they were basically berating the team for losing to South Africa,” he said,
“Warner said, ‘we have to reverse the swing of the ball.’ And the only way we can reverse the swing of the ball is basically by manipulating it,’ so they were told to do it.’
news corporation has reported that numerous cricket sources have told him that Erskine spoke without Warner’s knowledge or consent.
Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley has since also appeared on SEN Radio, where he categorically denied that Erskine’s allegations were true.
“I think these are really useless and unfounded comments,” he told SEN Radio on Friday morning.
“I think there was an investigation done at the time, but I think it’s been said repeatedly, if new information is going to be presented, then, as with any integrity issue, there are those avenues to present information at any stage.”
Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley has rejected claims made by James Erskine about the ball-tampering incident in Cape Town.
Australian Cricketers Association boss Todd Greenberg wants game to proceed from Sandpapergate
Australian Cricketers Association boss Todd Greenberg also responded to Erskine’s claims.
“I heard those comments from James Erskine yesterday, I can’t speak to any of it. I don’t know to be fair. I know James is a very passionate advocate for those he represents…he has every right to be upset with how that matter was handled,” Greenberg said on SEN.
Personally, I don’t think it’s helpful for any of us to look back. I think we’ve done it too much already…it’s probably been lost in the last 24 hours and I hope we can start looking forward instead of back.”