David Warner handed staggering boost in bid to overturn leadership ban

Cricket Australia has made a key change to its code of conduct in a move that will allow David Warner to apply to have his lifetime leadership ban overturned.

Warner is currently banned from holding a leadership ban within Australian cricket for the rest of his career due to his involvement in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

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Warner was regarded as the 'architect' behind the ploy to use sandpaper on the ball during a Test match at Newlands, which saw him and Steve Smith suspended for 12 months and Warner rubbed out from ever being captain or vice-captain of a team in Australia ever again.

But in a staggering twist to the sage, Warner is now free to try and have his ban overturned after Cricket Australia approved changes to its code of conduct on Monday. Under new rules, players and officials will be able to have long-term sanctions changed if they can show remorse and a change in behaviour.

Under the previous code of conduct, sanctions could not be challenged if they were accepted at the time. But Monday's changes, which have been approved by the CA board, will make the process possible.

"Any applications will be considered by a three-person Review Panel, comprising independent Code of Conduct Commissioners, which must be satisfied that exceptional circumstances exist to justify modifying a sanction," CA said in a statement.

CA stressed that any application would not be a review of the initial ban, but rather of the player's behaviour since and justification for lifting sanctions.

"These circumstances and considerations will include whether the subject of the sanction has demonstrated genuine remorse," the statement read.

"The subject's conduct and behaviour since the imposition of the sanction. Whether rehabilitation programs have been completed undertaken (if applicable) and the length of time that has passed since the sanction was imposed and whether sufficient time has passed to allow for reform or rehabilitation."

David Warner could become Australia captain

The staggering backflip means Warner can now push to lead the Sydney Thunder in the upcoming edition of the Big Bash League, as well as the possibility of standing in as captain of the Aussie one-day side as one of several deputies.

Josh Hazlewood was made captain on Saturday for the second ODI against England at the SCG with Pat Cummins resting ahead of the upcoming Test summer. Had Warner not been banned he would have been in line to take over as skipper.

The leadership of Australia's Twenty20 team is also likely to be up for grabs in the next six months, with Aaron Finch weighing up his future after recently retiring from one-day internationals.

Warner said last week he planned to play on in T20 cricket until at least the end of the 2024 World Cup, and that he was hopeful of having a hearing on his ban heard this month.

"Test cricket will probably be the first one to fall off," Warner said on Triple M radio about his playing future.

"Because that's how it will pan out. The T20 World Cup is in 2024, (one-day) World Cup next year. Potentially it could be my last 12 months in Test cricket. But I love the white-ball game; it's amazing.

"T20 cricket - I love the game. I will be looking to get to 2024. For all those people saying I am past it and a lot of those old people are past it, look out. Be careful what you wish for."

The thought of seeing Warner captaining Australia hasn't necessarily gone down well with fans in recent months, with many of the belief that the lifetime ban was justified.

with AAP

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