Australian captain Pat Cummins doubles down on calls for David Warner’s leadership ban to be abolished

Australia’s test captain Pat Cummins has again expressed his hope that the lifetime leadership ban on ‘brilliant leader’ David Warner will be struck out.

David Warner paid a heavy price for his role in cricket’s infamous Sandpapergate scandal. Picture: AFP

Pat Cummins has doubled down on his call for David Warner’s leadership ban to be abolished, but the batsman’s new BBL home in waiting is unlikely to push Cricket Australia for an answer … at least not straight away.

Despite the fact Warner’s signature is all but a formality, the Sydney Thunder appear poised to lock in 22-year-old young gun Jason Sangha as one of the youngest captains in Big Bash history.

Warner won’t be available until the last five games of the competition given his Australian Test commitments, and the Thunder want to commit to a skipper to lead them out of the blocks in the first half of the competition, with Chris Green still in the race with Sangha as the other contender.

News Corp understands captaincy has not formed part of Warner’s discussions with the Thunder and he is not pushing for a leadership role as part of his landmark deal to return to the BBL.

David Warner paid a heavy price for his role in cricket’s infamous Sandpapergate scandal. Picture: AFP

However, following Usman Khawaja’s departure from the Thunder in the off-season, Warner looms large as an obvious captaincy choice, or at least an influential leadership presence in the young Thunder squad.

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Test captain Cummins reaffirmed his support for Warner to have his lifetime leadership ban overturned by Cricket Australia at a Chappell Foundation dinner at the SCG on Wednesday night, where CA chief executive Nick Hockley was in the audience.

“I don’t see why not. He’s a brilliant leader. I hope so,” Cummins said on stage at an event that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for youth homelessness.

Cricket Australia’s board has not wanted to know about disquiet over Warner’s leadership ban, and have actively avoided revisiting the topic despite the fact Steve Smith has now captained Australia again and many leading voices have expressed that Warner has well and truly served his time.

However, the moment a club signs Warner to a BBL deal, the leadership ban may immediately become a live issue.

Sydney Thunder is set to appoint 22-year-old Jason Sangha as its captain for the upcoming BBL season. Picture: Getty Images

It’s unlikely the Thunder would unseat Sangha or Green as captain mid-season, but if injury intervened or results weren’t going their way, the Thunder may need to test the waters with CA.

Thunder coach Trevor Bayliss has led IPL teams where Warner has captained and the left-hander’s record overseas reflects the fact he’s one of the smartest tactical brains in T20 cricket.

Last year, Victorian chief executive Nick Cummins questioned in an interview with News Corp the validity of Warner’s CA-imposed life ban in a BBL context.

“All leadership positions for Victorian teams are proposed by the General Manager of the relevant team … the Cricket Victoria Board then approves or rejects the proposal,” Cummins told News Corp at the time.

“Cricket Australia has no say in the appointment of captains of Victorian teams. If Warner is allowed to play BBL, which he is, then I would expect it is up to his club as to whether he is captain or not.”

In any case, the Thunder and Cricket NSW will feel buoyed by the influence Warner could have on Sangha’s captaincy future.

The chance to play half a season with Warner on the field with him as a sounding board could prove invaluable for Sangha, who is a player with a bright future.

Meanwhile, Cricket Australia has outlined why they believe they are on solid ground banning Chris Lynn from defecting to the cashed-up UAE Twenty20 league this summer.

The UAE League is approved by the International Cricket Council and would have to contravene its treaty with the global governing body if it is to sign Lynn behind Cricket Australia’s back.

It’s why Lynn and Cricket Australia could be headed for the courts.