David Warner is likely to be handed Australia’s ODI captaincy after Cricket Australia (CA) decided to review the body’s integrity code which could end up reversing Warner’s lifetime ban issued for offences.
Australia are on the lookout for a new one-day international captain after Aaron Finch’s retirement.
Warner was previously banned by CA for a year from cricket and from leadership positions for life after he was adjudged to have played a significant role in 2018’s ball-tampering scandal.
The 35-year-old has found support for the leadership role from both current and former players with the former test vice-captain admitting it would be his “privilege” to lead Australia.
“The view within Cricket Australia is that David is doing particularly well on the field and making a great contribution,” CA chair Lachlan Henderson said during a news conference.
“The first step in terms of David’s leadership ban is to review the code and see if those sanctions are able to be reviewed. And the appropriate revisions to that code that would need to be made.”
There are still several hurdles that need to be cleared for David Warner to be handed the Captaincy.
Under the integrity code, any player who accepts a sanction cannot appeal for a review. This means that a new code must be written which could put CA in a direct confrontation with newly appointed Ethics Commissioner Simon Longstaff.
Warner is currently taking part in Australia’s series against England ahead of the T20 World Cup in his home country.
