Days after Cricket Australia lifted the leadership ban on David Warner due to his role in ‘Sandpaper-gate’ during the Newlands Test in 2018, the former Australia batter was appointed captain of Big Bash League (BBL) team Sydney Thunder.
Warner was served a life ban from leadership roles in Australian cricket after being found guilty of conspiring to tamper with the ball in the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town in 2018. The former opener, along with ex-Australia captain Steve Smith, was banned from elite cricket for a year, while opening batter Cameron Bancroft was suspended for nine months.
However, CA’s Code of Conduct Commission overturned that ban on October 25, paving the way for the prolific batter to regain the leadership role in Australian cricket.
“Captaining the Thunder again this season means a lot to me,” Warner, who was the team’s founding skipper, said in a statement on Wednesday.
“I was part of the team from the start, and now to be back with that ‘C’ next to my name feels fantastic. I’m looking forward to leading from the front and sharing my experience with the young talent coming through,” he added.
Thunder will begin their season in the Twenty20 BBL against Adelaide Strikers in Canberra on December 17.
Warner was the first captain of the Thunder, though he had led them only once, in 2011-12. He played once for the Sydney Sixers in 2012-13, but did not feature in the BBL again until 2022-23, when he returned to the Thunder. This will be his third consecutive season for the Thunder.
Between the ban and its overturn, Warner has led the Sylhet Sixers in the BPL, the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Delhi Capitals at the IPL, and the Dubai Capitals at the ILT20.
Sydney Thunder general manager Trent Copeland said, “This is a huge moment for David and for our club. It’s not only about his career. It’s about the legacy he’s creating, especially for his family and the next generation of players.”
“For the fans in western Sydney who’ve long recognised David as a Thunder legend, it’s a special moment to now see him as their captain,” he added.