Candice, the wife of Australia opener David Warner, has criticized Cricket Australia (CA) for their lack of support after the ball-tampering scandal. In 2018, Warner, along with Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, was involved in the sandpaper gate controversy during a Test series in South Africa. When Cricket Australia discovered that Warner was the mastermind behind the scandal, they imposed a lifetime leadership ban on him.
During a podcast, Candice expressed her disappointment at the way Cricket Australia handled the situation. She claimed that no official from the board came forward to offer support or help to the players involved in the incident. She also mentioned that they were left to fend for themselves amid the chaos.
“There was no support. Basically from when we left the hotel in South Africa, David was wiped. There was no Cricket Australia official helping him. There was nothing. It was basically fend for yourself, see you later. Thanks for your services,” said Mrs Warner.
Warner, who was recalled to the national team for the 2019 World Cup in England, had requested CA to remove his leadership ban. However, he later withdrew the application, citing the hostile process and the need to recall the events again.
In addition, Candice revealed that CA had also asked them to keep silent and not to talk more about the ball-tampering incident.
“I was even told by someone within Cricket Australia at the time within the team that it’s in the team’s best interest to keep your mouth shut. That fired me up and David up… we have so much respect for the team, but we’re also human beings. There was no help, at all. It’s sad because I learned to just accept it,” added Candice.
This request further worsened the situation of Warner and his family as he were already dealing with the aftermath of the scandal. The comments made by Candice have reignited the debate over CA’s handling of the sandpaper gate controversy and the subsequent fallout.