U-turn on David Warner’s ban closes one chapter of ball tampering saga but questions remain

The scrapping of David Warner’s lifetime captaincy ban six years after it was imposed closes one chapter on the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australian cricket. But while the indefinite suspension has grown to seem unfairly onerous as time has passed, the latest decision is another step towards nailing the lid shut on what happened behind the scenes at Newlands and in the lead up to the controversy in 2018.

David Warner’s lifetime leadership ban lifted six years after ball-tampering scandal

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Warner’s ban from holding a leadership position in Australian cricket, at both national and state levels, was the last sanction still in place from the sandpaper-gate saga until Cricket Australia’s backflip was announced out of the blue on Friday. The lingering asterisk is now removed from next to Warner’s name but comes too late for his hopes of resuming a role as Australia vice-captain – or perhaps even a higher honour – following his international retirement this year. The “modification” to the long-term ban does however clear the path for the 37-year-old to captain Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League this summer, as well as Warner taking on off-field leadership roles in cricket in the future.

The unanimous decision of the independent three-member review panel to overturn the lifetime leadership ban for bringing the game into disrepute might have arrived sooner but for Warner withdrawing the same bid two years ago. The explosive batter has rarely taken a backward step with willow in hand but even after edging towards the process for six months in 2022, he then baulked at the idea of it playing out in public and the prospect of further investigation under cross-examination, which was also at odds with CA’s preferred procedure.

Current captain Pat Cummins, coach Andrew McDonald, former Australian captains Greg Chappell and Lisa Sthalekar, and former New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson were among those to back Warner’s case in 2022. Each of those written character references were reaffirmed last week as the hearing was this time held privately and with all parties committed to keeping it out of public view until the findings were published amid 21 pages of heavy detail.

Warner copped the heaviest sanctions as ringleader of the ball-tampering plot in South Africa. Cameron Bancroft was caught in the act when trying to scuff the ball on the field and handed a nine-month suspension, while Warner received a 12-month playing ban and was told that he could never again hold a leadership role within the national or state set ups.