Australian superstar David Warner has opened up on his lifetime ban on captaincy, stating he is ready to have an honest conversation with Cricket Australia (CA) to see if the ban can be overturned.
“That hasn’t really been brought to the table. As I’ve said plenty of times off the record, it’s upon the board to reach out to me and open their doors. Then I can sit down and have an honest conversation with them,” said Warner, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
Notably, Warner was the most heavily punished among the three players involved in the infamous 2018 ball-tampering incident against South Africa in Cape Town – alongside Steven Smith and Cameron Bancroft.
Smith and Warner were banned for one year each, but the left-handed batter was prevented from holding any leadership position in Australian cricket for the rest of his career. On the other hand, Smith led Australia in the second Test against England last year in Adelaide when regular skipper Pat Cummins was ruled out due to COVID.
However, many former Aussie cricketers and current skipper Cummins have voiced their opinion that the decision of Warner’s lifetime captaincy ban needs to be overturned. Notably, the New South Wales cricketer has recently joined Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League (BBL), and the franchise will need a new captain for the upcoming 2022-23 season as Usman Khawaja has moved to Brisbane Heat.
Regardless of whether he has a captaincy position in Australian cricket again, Warner reckoned that he can play a leadership role.
“I’ve got the experience, I’m a leader in the side anyway without having a title. That’s what I’m about, giving back, so if they [younger players] can pick my brains in any way, my phone is always there, they have my number, and they can see me when I’m at the practice facilities,” added Warner.
