Candice Warner has weighed in on her husband David Warner’s lifetime leadership ban, saying all players involved in ‘Sandpapergate’ have “done their time”.
Warner, then-captain Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft were all found to have played central parts in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, resulting in Smith receiving a two-year leadership suspension and Warner accepting a lifetime leadership ban on all positions in Australian cricket.
Disapproval because of the lack of consistency between the two punishments has been heavily debated after Smith was appointed vice captain last week under new captain Pat Cummins.
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Warner’s wife Candice agreed with comments made by cricket legend Shane Warne, drawing attention to the star opener’s previous success when he filled in as Australian captain.
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“I would have to agree with Shane’s comments when he said that David has a fantastic cricketing brain,” she told 2GB’s WWOS Radio yesterday.
“He does. And anyone who knows the game or is within the team would definitely say that his cricketing brain is fantastic’. He’s also captained the side and had some really great success when he did captain the Australian team over in Sri Lanka, they won that series, over in India, they won that series.
“I think out of nine or 10 games he’s only lost one as captain. So he is a great captain.”
Candice said that when Warner went through the ball-tampering saga, it was all about getting back into the Australian Test side again. She added that it was great to see Warner, Smith and Bancroft all return to cricket following their bans.
“It would’ve been very easy to react … but David had a different plan, and he stuck to that plan, and that’s why he came back so successful,” she said.
“He had a very precise plan and he stuck to it. I take my hat off to David and to Steve and Cameron, who are continuing to play now.
“They’ve done their time and it’s great to see them all playing and doing so well.”
Candice voiced her disappointment that because of Cricket Australia’s ongoing ban on Warner captaining any side in Australian domestic cricket, it is likely that when he retires from Test cricket he will not play in the Big Bash ever again.
“It is disappointing because at this stage, when David decides to retire from Test cricket, he won’t play Big Bash,” she said.
“And that’s really disappointing for the Australian fans and kids and anyone who loves T20 cricket — the fact that David Warner will never play Big Bash again.”
Alternatively, Candice discussed captaining sides in different T20 tournaments around the world.
“You also have to consider that there’re so many leagues around the world that are shorter than the Big Bash,” she said.
“The Big Bash is a very long tournament. There are tournaments in Dubai in January that may be a better option with the family. David can still be with us [at] Christmas and fly to Dubai early January for a shorter period of time.
“So that is also an option as well and in a few years time, who knows what other tournaments will be going on around the world.”
Speaking to Nine’s Today, Warne again expressed his frustration at Cricket Australia’s thinking behind their vice captain selection.
“I’m happy with Pat Cummins [as captain]. I think he is a terrific person. I think he has earned the respect of all cricketers and the cricket community around the world. I think he has earned that respect with his players,” Warne said.
“We know what a great person Steve Smith is. He just made a horrible mistake a while ago when he was captain and under his watch ‘Sandpapergate’ happened.
“So I don’t understand how it is OK for the previous captain under sandpaper-gate to be allowed a leadership role again, but David Warner could never have a leadership role and he was just the player.
“It doesn’t make any sense to me. I would rather Mitch Marsh be vice captain and come into the side, or Marnus Labuschagne. I would have preferred that, time for a clean slate and move on.
“Let’s hope it all works out.”
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