Cricket news: Cricket Australia called out over handling of David Warner captaincy ban

Cricket Australia has turned a positive into a World Cup millstone by dragging out David Warner’s leadership ban, writes Ben Horne — he reveals the hurt it has caused the opener.

Justice delayed is justice denied when it comes to Cricket Australia’s handling of David Warner’s leadership ban.

The fact Pat Cummins was always going to be selectors’ first choice for the ODI captaincy is beside the point.

For Warner, he was never seeking out the Australian captaincy – or even the Sydney Thunder captaincy for that matter – when he first raised hopes that his leadership ban would be reviewed.

It was all about principle for Warner. That cricket bosses could acknowledge he had more than served his time and deserved the right to a fair go and an equal shot at redemption.

In that spirit, Cricket Australia chiefs have failed Warner.

David Warner deserved better from Cricket Australia. Picture: Matt Roberts/Getty Images

By moving so slowly that they’ve robbed him of the chance to even be considered by selectors for the ODI captaincy (which had been vacant for more than five weeks), CA bosses have only reinforced the feeling that all along they’ve been trying to avoid this issue like the plague.

Todd Greenberg, the Australian Cricketers Association boss first wrote to CA in February to ask for a review of Warner’s ban.

On August 21, Cricket NSW chief Lee Germon told News Corp his organisation had asked CA for clarification on Warner’s status after he had signed with the Sydney Thunder.

But instead of taking the bull by the horns and dealing with the lingering issue months ago in the cricket off-season, it’s now four days out from the World Cup and CA has managed to turn a positive initiative into a mess.

It’s blown up into a distraction which is potentially damaging for an Australian team preparing for a title defence, and according to sources, has left Warner hurt.

That’s a massive hit-wicket in itself, because this was a golden opportunity for administrators to heal old wounds, bring Warner back into the fold and demonstrate to him that his right to be shown fairness by the game meant something to cricket.

No one is suggesting Cummins isn’t a rock solid choice as ODI captain, but by not moving quickly enough to even have Warner included in the process run by selectors has also failed the fans.

Recent opinion polls run on News Corp and other media outlets in the wake of Aaron Finch’s retirement as ODI captain – showed that public opinion had shifted significantly in Warner’s favour over all other candidates, including Cummins.

There’s also tactical ramifications in not being able to consider Warner for the ODI captaincy.

Next year’s 50-over World Cup is in India where playing any more than two frontline fast bowlers isn’t guaranteed, especially when all-rounder Cameron Green can bowl the overs of a third seamer.

Is Pat Cummins even assured of selection in Australia’s ODI squad? Picture: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images

Cummins is one of the best to ever play the game and is a Test match GOAT, but does he rank above Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc in white ball cricket if selectors had to cut three down to two as they have in subcontinental Test matches this year?

If Warner was available, selectors may have been able to recommend to the board a similar strategy to what they did last year when instilling Steve Smith as Cummins’ Test deputy … although Warner will still be used as part of a broader leadership group should his ban eventually be overturned.

That will probably happen at some stage this summer, but by the time it’s lifted he’ll be a bit like the captain of a ship which has already sailed given this issue was always more about the principle of overturning a lifetime ban than actually coveting a top job.

INSIDER: RED TAPE’S DESTRUCTIVE IMPACT ON WARNER, TEAM

George Bailey has given a subtle nudge to Cricket Australia to hurry up and decide on what David Warner’s future is, lamenting the distraction the drawn out process has created on the eve of the World Cup.

The National Selector made it clear he and his panel were always going to endorse Pat Cummins for the ODI captaincy, describing it as a “no-brainer”, but said the dragged out process around whether to overturn Warner’s lifetime leadership ban was not fair on the batting star.

Bailey said selectors could not afford to continue waiting indefinitely through the World Cup for the integrity unit, the board and then an independent panel to make a call on Warner, and therefore whether he could be officially included in the process for replacing retired ODI captain, Aaron Finch.

It may not have changed the appointment decision, but the delay has further damaged an already fractured relationship between Warner and head office and created a storm of speculation at the start of a major tournament which could have been avoided had CA dealt with the issue months ago in the cricket off-season.

Originally, Australian selectors were in no hurry to name Finch’s successor, but Bailey said for a number of reasons the announcement was expedited.

“Like all things, once something is ratified by the board, it’s best to get it out there. Certainly internally for us, it’s a no-brainer decision. Pat is the person we want leading the team,” said Bailey.

“So the timing of that, I think there has been a lot of speculation and conjecture around the position.

“We are at the doorstep of a World Cup. I think it’s easier to just announce it and move on from that.

“It’s a tough tournament, you want guys focused on that.

“Separately to the David issue, I welcome Cricket Australia’s review into the Code of Conduct.

David Warner’s future is yet to be decided. Picture: Patrick Hamilton/AFP

“I think that’s excellent.

“What I do hope is that it happens in a really timely manner.

“Again, I think the longer that drags out just leads to speculation. I don’t think that’s helpful and I don’t think it’s helpful for David.”

The pressures that come with trying to win a World Cup on home soil are intense enough without conjecture over leadership – especially when the side has lost three straight warm-up games heading into its title defence.

Leading players expected CA to resolve the Warner controversy at its board meeting last week, but it was only the start of an ongoing process towards re-writing the code of conduct.

Tuesday’s controversy over Cummins privately raising personal objections to CA chief Nick Hockley over cricket’s major sponsor Alinta Energy has also added to the white noise circling the Australian squad four days out from their World Cup opener against New Zealand at the SCG.

Asked did selectors consider delaying running the process for a new ODI captain until CA had made a determination on Warner’s leadership status, Bailey said:

“We don’t know when that will be. So that’s not in our control,” he said.

That said, Warner’s chances of captaining Australia again are not extinguished.

Cummins will not play every ODI match on the road to the World Cup, so there is a strong chance Warner could serve as leader on an occasional basis in the fast bowler’s absence.

Given this will likely be Finch’s last Twenty20 tournament for Australia, Warner would also have to be a leading candidate to eventually take over as captain in that format, with the next T20 World Cup in 2024 very achievable for a player as fit and in form as Warner.

“That’s a hypothetical isn’t it. I hope it (leadership ban) does get reviewed. If it does, I back a number of players and staff who have come out in recent times (to say) David’s leadership within the group is fantastic,” said Bailey.

Pat Cummins has been named Australia’s new ODI captain. Picture: Getty Images

“Titled or not, (he’s) highly respected. I think it’s a credit to David that a number of people externally, who are now saying it’s a no-brainer that he should hold a leadership position were 18 months two years ago some of the strongest advocates for him having a life ban.

“I think that’s a credit to David that he’s worked on himself.

“Internally I just can’t speak highly enough of what he brings to the group. As do a number of players.

“As we talk about with Pat, he probably won’t be there for every game, but we’ve got a number of guys who have strong leadership capabilities.”

Originally published as Cricket news: Cricket Australia called out over handling of David Warner captaincy ban