With a vacancy now open to captain Australia's ODI side following Aaron Finch's retirement from the format, David Warner has thrown his hat in the ring for the job while also claiming there was "more" to the lifetime leadership ban Cricket Australia imposed on him following the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
The scandal, which has been dubbed Sandpapergate, occurred when Cameron Bancroft was caught by TV cameras during a Test against South Africa in Cape Town using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball. Cricket Australia subsequently investigated the incident and charged Bancroft, vice-captain Warner and captain Steve Smith with bringing the game into disrepute.
The trio were all hit with bans, but Warner's was by far the strongest after he was judged to have been responsible for the plot. As a result, he was suspended from playing cricket for a year and also hit with a lifetime leadership ban.
Smith has since returned as vice-captain of the Australia Test team and filled in as skipper for the second Ashes Test last December when Pat Cummins was ruled out with Covid. And Warner is keen to get his ban lifted, with the 35-year-old set to hold discussions with Cricket Australia in the near future.
He also suggested that his strong stance in the players' 2017 pay dispute with Cricket Australia contributed to him being banned for life. However, with "almost a completely new board" in place, Warner is keen to discuss his future with Cricket Australia and says it would be a "privilege" to replace Finch as ODI captain.
"Unfortunately a lot of the events before 2018 were with the board," Warner told reporters. "The MOU stuff [pay dispute] and all that There was a lot of stuff that was… things got over and above in terms of more than the Cape Town stuff.
"There was more to it. I think that's where my decision, the penalty that was handed down was more of stuff that was happening before that. I think at the end of the day it's about what questions do they [the board] want to ask me.
"That's where the conversation starts and then we can lead from there. It's almost a completely new board from when 2018 happened. I would be interested to see and hear what their thoughts are."
He did admit that Cummins is likely to have first refusal over the ODI captaincy, but with the 29-year-old admitting it would be 'unrealistic' for him to lead the side in all formats, Warner would be a leading candidate for the job. "Obviously [Pat] is the key, he is the Test captain and gets the first opportunity," he added.
"But any opportunity you get asked to captain, it's a privilege. For my circumstances that's in Cricket Australia's hands. I can only concentrate on what I have to do, and that's using the bat and scoring as many runs as I can.
"My phone is here [if they want to talk]. At the end of the day what is done is done in the past. The good thing is there is a new board. I am always happy to sit down and have a chat and talk about whatever they need to talk about."
"David has shown strong leadership both on and off field in recent seasons and his decision to play in the BBL for the next two years reflects his ongoing commitment to cricket in Australia," a Cricket Australia spokesman said of Warner's captaincy prospects.
"The CA board welcomes David's wish to discuss his leadership status with directors and this will be arranged at a convenient time for both parties."
