David Warner has said it would be a "privilege" to captain Australia after Cricket Australia chiefs opened the door for his lifetime leadership ban to be overturned after proposing a change to their code of conduct.
Warner was hit with the ban following the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, which rocked the sport when Cameron Bancroft was caught by TV cameras using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball during a Test match against South Africa.
After Cricket Australia investigated the incident, they charged Bancroft Warner and Steve Smith with bringing the game into disrepute, with the trio all banned. Warner was banned from playing cricket for a year and ever holding a leadership position again.
However, now that Australia are searching for an ODI captain following Aaron Finch's retirement from the format, Warner has widely been tipped as an ideal replacement. Under the current rules, players who accept their sanctions like Warner did are unable to request a review of their punishment.
But the Cricket Australia board have now asked head of integrity Jacqui Partridge to propose a change. "The amendment would allow a person to request a penalty that they had accepted be reviewed after an appropriate period of time," a statement read.
"The onus would be on the applicant to prove they had undergone genuine reform relevant to the offence they were sanctioned for. Any review would not revisit the original sanction, other than suspension of a penalty in recognition of genuine reform."
Cricket Australia chairman Lachlan Henderson said the proposed change should come into effect "in time for any future leadership conversations in relation to David." And when quizzed about the possibility of his ban being overturned during the third T20I between England and Australia, Warner said: "It is what it is.
"There is talk I might be able to have a chat with the integrity unit. If it's possible, I am happy to sit down with them, chew the fat and see where we are at.
"It would be a privilege [to captain Australia] if it ever presented itself. I am a leader in this team no matter what, it doesn't matter if you are captain or vice-captain. You have to put your best foot forward and lead by example."
