'It was ridiculous' - David Warner criticizes Cricket Australia in leadership ban dispute

Australian veteran David Warner hit out at Cricket Australia for the way it handled things when he applied to have his management ban lifted in November last year. After his involvement in the infamous sandpaper ball tampering controversy, which resulted in him and Steve Smith being suspended from cricket for a year, Smith was issued a two-year leadership suspension from Australian cricket, while Warner suffered a lifetime suspension from Australia's governing body.

Warner requested an investigation of his lifelong ban from holding any type of leadership position last year. While CA revised its guidelines for player behaviour, enabling him to request a review of the captain's suspension before an impartial body of three code of conduct commissioners. Moreover, he was disappointed by the open lynching and anticipated the proceedings to take place in private, behind closed doors. Later, the Australian player took back his complaint.

The 36-year-old, recently, re-opened up on the matter by saying that Cricket Australia lacked leadership for the way his hearings were handled. He further added that the board officials lacked response. He also went on to question the administrative responsibility, when it came to arriving at an appropriate decision.

“It was ridiculous. I wanted to put it to bed and they kept dragging it out and not answering. No one wanted to take responsibility, no one wanted to make decisions. You have an administration where there seemed to be a lack of leadership,” Warner told the Sydney Morning Herald.

I wasn’t able to have a clear mind to play the cricket: Warner

Reflecting on the whole case, David Warner felt disrespected by the way CA treated him when he was forced to talk with his lawyers and attending calls during the Test matches. He also expressed his disappointment over the case being dragged for nine long months which was not needed. The settlement of his case could have been much speedier. Consequently, his career suffered greatly by the ball-tampering controversy, which also harmed his personality and had serious repercussions.

“They could have nipped it in the bud but I’m getting a call first, second, and third of Test matches and talking to lawyers, etc when I didn’t need to. I felt disrespected in the way that I wasn’t able to have a clear mind to play the game and focus on the game. So, from that perspective, it wasn’t even like, ‘Oh, let’s stop and get back to this.’ It was nine months, it launched in February (2022). I was extremely disappointed,” Warner stated.