David Warner Ban Lifted: Cricket Australia (CA) has lifted David Warner’s lifetime leadership ban in cricket, making him eligible to captain Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League 2024-25. Warner's lifetime ban from holding any leadership role in Australian cricket was imposed following the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in South Africa and was lifted on October 25 (Friday), six years after the events.
Warner presented his case to a three-member independent panel earlier this month, which concluded that the 37-year-old had met all the necessary criteria, leading to an immediate removal of the ban.
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David Warner's Remorseful Behavior Impresses Panel
The panel unanimously agreed to lift the ban based on David Warner’s remorseful behaviour towards his actions in the Sandpaper Gate.
"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.
The panel noted Warner's "excellent conduct and behaviour" since the sanction, highlighting a significant shift, including his refraining from sledging or provoking opponents.
"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.”
"The Review Panel is more than satisfied that Mr Warner will not engage in any conduct similar to that which occurred in 2018 which resulted in the sanction and that the sanction has thus had the relevant quality of specific deterrence," panel noted further.
CA CEO Nick Hockley expressed satisfaction with Warner's decision to seek review, enabling him to hold leadership roles in Australian cricket this summer.
"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. 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," ," Hockley said.