All-format opener issues strongly-worded statement detailing why he has pulled out of CA process that was set to reconsider his lifetime leadership ban
Warner withdraws from leadership review
David Warner's hopes of captaining Australia or any side in Cricket Australia's competitions appear over after the opener announced he was withdrawing his application for a review of his lifetime leadership ban.
On the eve of the second NRMA Insurance Test against West Indies in Adelaide, Warner issued a bombshell statement via his Instagram account in which he decried his treatment by an independent review panel commissioned to hear why he should be permitted to lead again.
Last month, CA amended its Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel following a review conducted by the organisation's Head of Integrity.
Under those changes, players and support staff served with long-term sanctions could apply to have those conditions modified provided an independent three-person review panel was satisfied "that exceptional circumstances exist to justify modifying a sanction".
But Warner announced on Wednesday evening that he was pulling out of that process, citing the panel’s decision to conduct a public hearing rather than his – and Cricket Australia’s – preference it be held in private.
"Regrettably, I have no practical alternative at this point in time but to withdraw my application," Warner wrote.
"I am not prepared to subject my family or my teammates to further trauma and disruption by accepting a departure from the way in which my application should be dealt with pursuant to the Code of Conduct.
"Some things are more important than cricket."
In the almost 800-word statement posted by Warner this evening, he claims that "regular established procedures" under CA's Code of Conduct have not been followed, and cited "offensive and unhelpful comments" made by counsel assisting the three-person panel.
Warner also used his statement to reiterate the view that the role of the review panel was not to hear an appeal on the original sanctions handed down in 2018, nor to review that offence.
He also claimed the assisting counsel – who he did not name – had made "offensive and unhelpful comments" to the panel in submissions, and accused both the counsel and the panel "to some extent" seemingly wanted the hearing to be conducted in public.
"They want to conduct a public spectacle to, in the Panel's words, have a "cleansing"," Warner wrote.
"I am not prepared for my family to be the washing machine for cricket's dirty laundry."
Warner wrote that his request for the panel to revisit their recent procedural decisions carried the support of Cricket Australia, but after considering that proposal for "nearly a week" the request was not granted and the panel "provided a dismissive rejection of the substantive matters".
In response to Warner's post, Cricket Australia issued a statement tonight that noted it had supported Warner's desire for the independent review to be conducted behind closed doors.
"We are disappointed with this outcome as our intention was to give David the opportunity to demonstrate why his lifetime leadership ban should be varied at an independent hearing and we amended our Code of Conduct accordingly," the CA statement said.
"We supported David’s wish for these discussions to be heard behind closed doors and respect his decision to withdraw his application.
"David is a very senior and highly regarded member of the Australian team who has been a great ambassador for the game as a whole since his return from a year-long ban."
Warner has been named in Australia’s starting XI for the day-night Test that begins at Adelaide Oval at 2.30pm (ACDT) tomorrow and is currently on track to become just the 14th Australian to play 100 Tests during this summer’s Boxing Day Test.
Men's NRMA Insurance Test Series v West Indies
First Test: Australia won by 164 runs
Dec 8-12: Second Test, Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (day-night)
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner
West Indies squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Marquino Mindley, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Devon Thomas
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