New Delhi: David Warner shared an emotional note, opening up about the ban from leadership roles in the national side and the humiliation faced by his family. The Australian batter wrote about the Sandpaper Gate incident in the third Test match in Cape Town which led to a ban and penalty for the then-captain Steve Smith and his deputy Warner. He stated that his family is more important to him than the sport.
The cricketer submitted an application to lift the lifetime ban from the leadership roles but had to withdraw it as the Review Panel ignored his proposal and decided to conduct a public trial for the events that occurred during 2018 Australia’s tour to South Africa.
He wrote that even after the humiliation faced by his family members, his wife Candice and daughters Ivy Mae, Indi Rae and Isla Rose have loved and supported him. While there were talks about lifting the leadership ban for the batter, he wrote dejectedly that the ban may never be lifted. He also wrote that he has been subjected to a harsh penalty for the last five years without any prospect of relief.
He also mentioned that the proposal sent by him to the Review Panel was backed by Cricket Australia. He stated that he does not want his family to be the ‘washing machine for cricket’s dirty laundry’. He does not want his family and teammates to go through all the trauma again and hence he made the decision to withdraw.
Currently, he is playing the Test series against West Indies. While Australia won the first game comfortably, Warner scored 5 runs in the first inning and 48 in the second.