Furious David Warner gives up on Captaincy push due to CA Review Panel's 'Irregular' procedure
David Warner issued a strong statement against Cricket Australia (CA) regime after the board's unclear stance on change his lifetime captaincy ban and being asked to seek a public trial amidst requests for reversal.
Warner has been reportedly told by the existent CA regime to undergo a public trial and check whether the sport-loving country of Australia and its people want to have the left-hander representing them as captain at the highest level.
Issuing a statement in response over his Instagram handle, the experienced opener said the "unprecedented" ban has had a "crushing" impact on him and his family, which he says is "more important" to him than his playing career with Australia.
David Warner also cited to the fact that CA's code of conduct regulations were amended on last month to allow for players to seek an alteration to long-term sanctions, like his case in the aftermath of the 2018 ball-tampering incident.
Warner's strong statement to CA amidst captaincy debate
"I have served and been subject to a crushing, unprecedented, penalty that has horribly impacted me and my family for the past nearly five years - without the prospect of any relief until now," David Warner wrote in his statement.
"On 21 November 2022, the Cricket Australia Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel (the Code of Conduct) was amended to permit players to apply for a modification to Long-Term Sanctions."
Warner stressed on the point around the lifetime captaincy ban imposed on his head after proven involvement in the contentious Cape Town ball-tampering saga alongside Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft. Alongside a year-long playing ban, CA had also imposed a captaincy bans on Smith and Warner, who held the captain and vice-captain's posts, respectively at the time.
Smith has since completed the two-year ban enforced on his name but Warner continues to suffer and can't be part of considerations amidst a captaincy shuffle in Australian cricket because of a lifetime ban, something no Australian cricketer has previously had to deal with.
"My family is more important to me than cricket," Warner said, highlighting the impact the ban has indirectly had on his wife and kids. He also said he has undergone a personal transformation in his playing approach over the past five years to ensure he is never again crossing the line on the cricket field.
"Over the course of the past nearly five years since the events that occurred during the Third Test in Cape Town, even with all the humiliation and attacks that they have had to endure, I have enjoyed the unwavering support and love of my wife Candice and my three daughters, Ivy Mae, Indi Rae, and Isla Rose. They are my world."
"Since that Test and even though my ban from leadership roles may never be lifted, I have taken it upon myself to reform, to rehabilitate and to transform my approach to the game," he added.