“I’m not a criminal,” says David Warner on captaincy saga

David Warner, the 36-year-old Australian batsman, has been attempting to appeal his lifetime
ban for over nine months. After a ball tampering incident during a test match against South
Africa, Warner was given a lifetime ban from ever holding a leadership position.

According to the recent amendments to the CA code of conduct, players now have the right to have a
sanction reviewed once it has been accepted.

Warner makes important statement

Warner expressed his frustration at a recent promotion event for Kayo Sports stating, “I’m not
a criminal. You should get a right of an appeal at some stage. I understand that they put a ban
in place but banning someone for life, I think it’s a bit harsh…Where it’s been disappointing,
it’s taken this long to get to where it has.” According to the cricketer, the incident and the
long-drawn-out process to appeal has been traumatic for him and his family and he would not
like to relive the incident.

But Warner is confident in the work that he has done since then to prove his integrity. If the
CA accepts to hear his appeal, then he would need to appear before a three-person Review
panel, comprising independent Code of Conduct commissioners.

The committee will need to be satisfied that exceptional circumstances exist to modify the sanction. The committee will examine if Warner has demonstrated genuine remorse, his behaviour since the imposition of the sanctions, the length of time since the sanctions and whether he has undertaken and
completed the rehabilitation programs.

So, will we ever get to see David Warner lead Australia again? It is difficult to say. The
amendment to the CA code of conduct has provided him with a window of opportunity.
Warner has certainly proved himself capable at handling leadership roles during his time in

Sunrisers Hyderabad. Only time will tell if CA will modify his sanction but if they do, it
seems likely that we will be able to see David Warner leading Australia again.