'I'm not a criminal': Warner blasts Cricket Australia for drawn-out captaincy ban review

David Warner has slammed Cricket Australia (CA) for taking too long to amend its code of conduct that will now allow the opener to get his leadership ban reviewed. Cricket Australia on Monday amended its code of conduct which previously stated that sanctions on players cannot be reviewed once accepted by the board. Warner was handed a lifetime leadership ban in 2018 after he was found guilty in the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australian cricket to its core. 

Warner said at an event on Monday that he is "not a criminal" and should get a right of an appeal at some stage. Warner stated that it's been disappointing to see that it's taken so long for Cricket Australia to make the amendment in its code of conduct, adding "it's traumatic for me and my family and everyone else that was involved." Warner said that it's frustrating because the process could have been completed nine months ago when it was first brought up, pointing out that the board took just four days to impose the ban on him. 

"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. It was brought up in I think February this year. So it's been drawn out. It's traumatic for me and my family and everyone else that was involved in it. We haven't needed to go back into that detail. We don't need to relive what happened," Warner said.

"It's frustrating because we could have done this about nine months ago when it was first brought up. It's unfortunate that obviously Finchy retired and then they sort of fast-tracked it in their own way. But it's a tad disappointing that when you make a decision in 2018, it's in four days, and then this takes nine months. So that's the hardest thing. It actually makes me look like I'm campaigning, which I'm totally not. So from my perspective, that's where it's been disappointing," he added. 

Will Warner be allowed to captain Australia?

Warner can now formally apply for a review of the sanction that was imposed on him four years ago. If the ban is overturned by Cricket Australia, Warner will have an opportunity to become the captain of the Australian white-ball side of the upcoming World Cups in 2023 and 2024. After the leadership ban was imposed on Warner, the left-handed batter captained Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, so it won't be something new for the batter if he is given the chance to lead a team again. 

Image: AP