David Warner's lifetime leadership ban lifted by Cricket Australia

Cricket Australia on Friday lifted the lifetime leadership ban on former batter David Warner with immediate effect. In the 2018 Ball-Tampering Scandal, also known as the ‘Sandpaper Gate’, then-Australian captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and batter Cameron Bancroft received heavy sanctions from Cricket Australia for their involvement in ball-tampering during the series against South Africa. A leadership ban on Warner was among the sanctions imposed. Both Smith and Warner also were banned from international and domestic cricket for a year.

In a statement issued on Friday, CA said, “Cricket Australia’s (CA) Conduct Commission has modified David Warner’s lifetime leadership ban effective immediately.”

In a unanimous decision, the independent three-member Review Panel determined that Warner had met the necessary criteria to have the ban lifted.