Warner unlikely to be a part of the upcoming BBL due to leadership ban

Australia's swashbuckling opener and former vice-captain, David Warner, might miss the upcoming edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) if Cricket Australia does not lift his leadership ban because of the 2018 Ball-Tampering scandal in South Africa.

Including the consequences faced by Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, who were involved in the scandal, Warner was banned from playing domestic and international games for 12 months and a lifetime ban from captaining the National team. 

Warner has been in great form recently, both in the Indian Premier League 2022 season and while representing his country. He was instrumental in Australia's first ICC T20 World Cup victory in the UAE last year. In the recently concluded white-ball series against Sri Lanka, he batted brilliantly. 

As his current performance suggests, many cricket fanatics and sporting legends believe that the left-hand opener must deserve a second chance and get lifted from his captaincy ban. 

Warner’s wife rips into Cricket Australia over leadership ban

Meanwhile, Candice Warner, the wife of the left-hand batter, thinks it is injustice by the Cricket Australia board for not lifting his lifetime captaincy, as he has proved to be decisive for the team with the bat. In a recent interview as per the Daily Mail, Warner's wife, Candice, talked about her thoughts regarding the lifetime captaincy ban her husband received.

"I don't like injustice, so it does bother me. But, it doesn't bother him because he can go and captain in the UAE, and he can go captain in India (IPL), where people appreciate his cricketing brain and what he can bring to a team,"

"You take each day as it comes, and David had plenty of opportunities to play in Canada and the Caribbean. But, there are times when as an athlete you go, 'OK, well, I could sit there and get upset or set goals moving forward," stated the left-hand batter's wife. 

"David has an incredible T20 record in India and is one of our best in Australia. Regardless of whether the ban is lifted or not, if he plays Big Bash, it's a decision we talk about what's best for the family in this period,"

"Also, there's another league going on in the UAE, which financially [has] much bigger money. It's not just lifting Dave's ban; it's a matter of what is best for our family. And Dave's just accepted he has this ban now," added Candice.

Pat Cummins backs Warner over leadership ban

Even the current red-ball team skipper, Pat Cummins, believes that if he gets a formal role, the batter will perform to the fullest. He stated, "(Warner) is a fantastic leader around our squad here. So if he has a formal role, he would be fantastic with that as well. So if that ever came up, he'd be great."

In addition, BBL coach Greg Shipperd has requested the board to allow Warner to at least lead the domestic side, citing his diligence in serving his ban following the sandpaper-gate scandal and making a pivotal contribution to the team and cricket in general across the globe. 

Also, Australian Cricketer's Association (ACA) head Todd Greenberg has agreed to the discussion with Cricket Australia about reconsidering Warner's ban.