Pat Cummins’ brutal response to Warner over comeback bid, as CA clears the way for BBL captaincy role

Australia’s Test captain Pat Cummins has laughed off David Warner’s offer to come out of retirement to help the country’s opener crisis – making it clear he thought it was a joking matter.

On Friday, Cricket Australia (CA) scrapped the lifetime leadership ban on Warner that was controversially handed down in the wake of the Newlands ball-tampering incident – opening the way for him to captain Sydney Thunder.

Earlier in the week he told News Corp that he would answer a call to return to the Test team with leading candidates struggling for form, adding he was “dead serious”.

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Cummins, speaking on The Grade Cricketer Podcast, said Warner had sought his feedback.

Asked if he had a message for Warner, a laughing Cummins replied: “Dave, we’re very interested, we’re taking it very seriously and we’ll be in touch mate.”

He added: “I did speak to Dave a couple of days ago. He said ‘what did you think about that?’ I said ‘yeah, good luck with Thunder this year’.”

Meanwhile, an independent three-member review panel unanimously determined Warner met the criteria to have his ban overturned after the former Test opener lodged an appeal with CA.

The panel found Warner was genuinely contrite in taking responsibility for the 2018 “Sandpapergate” saga, of which he was considered the architect.

David Warner. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

It also gave weight to Warner’s track record mentoring the next generation of cricketers, and his role fostering interest in the game amongst Australia’s South Asian communities.

The decision scraps the last remaining sanction left over from the chain of events in South Africa and paves the way for Warner to hold a formal leadership role with the BBL’s Sydney Thunder this summer.

Warner had considered lodging an appeal to have his ban overturned in late 2022 after CA changed its code of conduct to allow players to appeal long-term sanctions.

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But Warner ultimately opted not to persist with the appeal, worried revisiting the incidents of the 2018 ball-tampering saga would open up old wounds.

CA chief executive Nick Hockley expressed his disappointment with Warner’s decision at the time, and was glad he followed through this time.

“I am pleased David has chosen to have his sanction reviewed and that he will be eligible to take up leadership positions in Australian Cricket this summer,” Hockley said.

(With AAP)

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