SYDNEY (Reuters) – Former Australia captain Greg Chappell has added his voice to the calls for the lifting of the ban on David Warner holding a formal leadership role in Australian cricket.
Batsman Warner was barred from holding any leadership position in the Australian game for life because of his leading role in the infamous Newlands ball-tampering scandal of 2018.
Current test skipper Pat Cummins is among those who have called for the Cricket Australia bar to be rescinded, saying he “fundamentally” disagreed with the concept of a ban that failed to recognise that people can learn and improve.
“He obviously had a central role in what happened but he was not the only one that was involved and I don’t know why he should be treated any differently,” Chappell told Fox Sports News on Tuesday.
“He’s served his punishment, he is a good leader in the side and not doubt if he had had the opportunity, I’m sure he would have captained the side quite well.
“I think he’s paid his penalty and it’s time to open it up for leadership roles.”
Warner and Steve Smith, the vice captain and captain of the test side at the time of the ball-tampering incident, were both banned from elite cricket for a year.
Smith was banned from leadership roles for only a further year and was named vice captain of the test team ahead of the 2021-22 Ashes series.
Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said last week that although Warner was an “outstanding” leader in the side there were no plans to rescind the ban.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
