David Warner leadership ban: Pat Cummins favoured for ODI captaincy
Pat Cummins is favourite to be named Australia’s new ODI captain — but it could be a move which increases David Warner’s hopes of leading his country.
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A window may be opening for David Warner to again become an international leader with Pat Cummins tipped to be Australia’s next 50-over captain.
Cummins claimed on Sunday he is interested in the post after Australia practiced in Brisbane before their T20 World Cup warm-up match against India at the Gabba on Monday.
Australia’s Test captain Cummins is Australia’s preferred choice so if he is open to the role there no obvious barrier to him getting it.
But the intriguing news for Warner is Cummins admitted he would be unlikely to play every game if given the position vacated recently by Aaron Finch, one which has special importance leading into next year’s World Cup in India.
The possible rotation of the role opens up the possibility of Warner becoming captain, as has been suggested by Greg Chappell, or more likely vice-captain, the role he held before being banned for life after Sandpapergate.
He could be to the 50-over team what Steve Smith is to the Test side – a vice-captain who provides key tactical advice and occasionally steps in when the skipper cannot play.
“It certainly wouldn’t be an issue for the group,’’ Cummins said of the possibility of Warner holding a leadership role.
“I know it’s not an option at this stage but he is a leader around our group, always has been, always will be. He’s awesome and someone in the Test side I lean on a lot. So if things change he is someone in the Test side you would strongly consider to step up.
“Obviously there are a few barriers at the moment but if if they were removed there wouldn’t be any qualms from any of us.’’
Cricket Australia is currently proposing to amend its code of conduct laws to allow players to appeal long term sentences if they can prove they have reformed their ways. It is likely Warner’s life leadership ban will be overturned this season.
Cummins has been a success as the first specialist fast bowler to be appointed a fulltime Australian Test captain and Australia likes the thought of his cool hand controlling the steering wheel in a World Cup year.
“There is no decisions made yet it’s something I’d be I’d be open to,’’ Cummins said.
“I think I probably need to look at it a little bit differently with so much cricket going on if I was offered it but we’ll see.
“I think just playing every single game isn’t realistic. We’ve probably got a handful of guys that play all three formats. We have 15 Test batches in the next six months. I don’t think you can expect the captain to play every game just because of the captain he there’s all these other cricket and calendar as well.’’
When asked if the team could be captained by committee Cummins said “I think for sure.’’
“We’ve got some great leaders in the team. We all get along great. I think the style of just about everyone in the team is really similar. So I think it’d be really seamless.’’
Mitchell Marsh is expected to return to the bowling crease after a foot injury in the trial while Ashton Agar is likely to have his fitness tested after a side strain.
DELAY COULD ROB WARNER OF SHOT AT ODI CAPTAINCY
Ben Horne
Cricket Australia could rob David Warner of the chance to be considered for the vacant ODI captaincy unless it can fast-track an overturning of his leadership ban within a matter of weeks.
Australian selectors are set to announce Aaron Finch’s replacement as ODI captain inside a month, or at the latest by the end of the World Cup, with the 50-over team due to face England on November 17.
Although it appears more than likely that Warner will have his lifetime ban ended following a proposed change to the code of conduct by CA at Friday’s board meeting, there is frustration and anger amongst players and the Australian Cricketers Association about how long the saga has dragged on.
One source told News Corp, “Justice delayed is justice denied,” as the clock ticks on CA being able to clear the red tape necessary to get Warner a hearing in front of an independent code of conduct panel before selectors make a far from straightforward decision on who should be the ODI captain to lead Australia to next year’s World Cup.
The ACA first wrote to CA to implore a review of Warner’s ban back in February. While Cricket NSW had asked CA for clarification on the star’s leadership status before it announced he had signed with the Sydney Thunder back on August 21 and its board has also written to CA.
“If it ever presented itself (captaining Australia in white ball cricket) it would be a privilege. But for me it’s about focusing on the next game and what I have to do for the team. At this point in time that’s what I have to do,” Warner told Fox Cricket on Friday night.
“… I’ve just got to accept what the decisions are handed down.
“There is talk I might be able to have a chat to the integrity unit. If that’s possible I’m happy just to sit down with them and chew the fat a little bit and see where we’re at.
“If it does get overturned then we have to go from there. For me, I’m a leader in this team no matter what.
“It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a c or a vc next to your name, you’ve just got to put your best foot forward and lead by example.”
Cricket Australia Chairman Lachlan Henderson said on Thursday he believed changes which would allow Warner to have his ban reviewed could happen “in a relatively timely matter”, but it’s already 5 minutes to midnight in regards to the ODI captaincy, particularly given Warner is about to enter a Twenty20 World Cup.
Of course, even if Warner did have his ban ended in time, selectors may not nominate him for the role given the batsman is a month older than Finch and about to turn 36.
However, it would be extraordinary if National Selector George Bailey and his panel couldn’t at least canvas Warner as an option given the odds are now firmly in favour of his lifetime ban being scrapped.
Steve Smith served a two-year leadership ban but is now Test vice-captain and News Corp voting polls show both men are now popular leadership options with fans.
Finch himself has endorsed Warner as a worthy successor, while 50-over World Cup winner – and a man who famously turned down the Test captaincy – Brad Haddin said Warner is the best option Australia has tactically for next year’s tournament in Indian conditions.
Pat Cummins is the favourite to be ODI captain, but it’s far from a straightforward decision given he is conscious of being overloaded as Test skipper and it’s impossible to see him taking on the leadership of all three formats.
Other leading candidate Mitchell Marsh ruled him out of the running this week, while Smith was lukewarm on the subject when asked. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey is another frontline contender, but he isn’t in the T20 squad so selecting him would mean Australia would end up with three captains instead of two.
Overall though, the developments of the past 48 hours have been positive for Warner.
Henderson and CA chief executive Nick Hockley have strongly endorsed Warner as a leader and his right to a fair hearing five years on from Sandpapergate.
If his ban is overturned it would certainly come in time for him to lead the Thunder in the Big Bash League, and it also reopens career options for him post-cricket in coaching and administration.
Currently the code does not allow any avenue for sanctions to be reviewed once accepted by the player – but the CA board wants this changed so any player handed a long-term sanction can request their punishments be reviewed after an “appropriate period of time.”
“The onus would be on the applicant to prove they had undergone genuine reform relevant to the offence they were sanctioned for,” said a CA statement on Friday.
“Any review would not revisit the original sanction, other than suspension of a penalty in recognition of genuine reform.
“The Board has requested that the CA Head of Integrity propose an amendment to the code for consideration.
“It was agreed that should an amendment in respect to long-term sanctions be adopted, any review of a penalty would be heard by an independent Code of Conduct Commission.”
THE ‘WARNER CLAUSE’ WHICH COULD RESHAPE AUSSIE CRICKET
For the first time in five years, the odds are in favour of David Warner’s controversial lifetime leadership ban being sensationally scrapped.
It’s not over the line yet, but it’s now becoming a distinct probability, as Cricket Australia powerbrokers prepare to discuss the insertion of a ‘Warner clause’ into its code of conduct to allow the board to specifically deal with his exile.
Inserting a clause to allow long-term sanctions to be reviewed on the basis of good behaviour would open the door for Warner to captain in the Big Bash and potentially for Australia, without necessarily creating a problematic precedent for the rest of the code, given he’s the only player in history to have been handed such an extraordinary lifelong ban.
CA Chairman Lachlan Henderson has expressed a desire to show fairness to Warner given the unique circumstances which contributed to the old board’s punitive response to the Sandpapergate scandal.
“I think we do need to be aware of precedent. Codes are put in place for good reason and as are sanctions. We need to be careful that we’re not reactive in relation to bans that have been imposed in the past,” warned Henderson ahead of Friday’s board meeting.
“We also need to also be aware that players and those subject to sanctions can change, can do very well in the future and we’d like to think that we need to adopt a principle of fairness as we look at David’s situation particularly.
“But it is in the context of the broader code.”
Test captain Pat Cummins has led the charge to overturn Warner’s ban, arguing that rubbing a player out for life is a regrettable form of punishment as it cuts out any chance of redemption.
But to do that would require the game’s integrity code to be altered, because the fine print at the moment states that once a punishment is accepted by the player it cannot be challenged.
Warner’s return to the Big Bash league has brought the long-simmering leadership ban issue to a head because the Sydney Thunder wants their star recruit available to be a captaincy option.
However, Aaron Finch’s retirement from ODI cricket has also raised the possibility Warner could be considered as Australia’s white ball captain, with Greg Chappell and Finch himself supportive of such a move.
Henderson said after the board discussion about making an amendment to the code takes place on Friday, a decision and resolution on the leadership ban should happen speedily enough to allow Australian selectors to consider Warner as a candidate if a call was ultimately to go his way.
“I think our intention is to review the code as quickly as is practicable. It’s not in anyone’s interest for us to delay that. It would be in time for any future leadership conversations in relation to David,” said Henderson.
“(How long it would take to rewrite a code) … will be for smarter legal people in the room than me, but no, it can happen in a relatively timely matter.”
Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley, who was a key figure in convincing Warner to return to the Big Bash – also believes there is a strong argument for the left-hander to be given a shot at leadership redemption.
“I think in very simple terms, what we’re looking at is for the ability for sanction, not decisions but sanctions to be reviewed for good behaviour, growth, and development after a period of time,” said Hockley.
“(That) Is the element we’re going to be looking at this week.”
Warner said recently that he believed the ugly 2017 pay war where he was front and centre as a strong advocate for the players had contributed to the old board’s decision to punish him with a lifetime ban for what happened in Cape Town, and had hoped a completely new board might review the penalty in a fresh light.
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