Australian cricket star David Warner has withdrawn his bid to have a lifetime captaincy ban revoked after claiming the review panel wanted to 'conduct a public trial' about the 2018 ball-tampering incident.
After serving a one year ban from domestic and international cricket following the incident Warner returned to the Australian side. With a captaincy position set to become available the 36-year-old submitted a bid to have his lifetime ban from captaining the country's side lifted.
However, after being told the independent review panel would include a cross-examination of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal he has now withdrawn his appeal - claiming that the panel wanted to 'conduct a public trial' on him.
“It appears, to some extent the review panel, want to conduct a public trial of me and what occurred during the Third Test at Newlands,” Warner said in a statement posted on Instagram.
“They want to conduct a public spectacle to, in the panel’s words, have a ‘cleansing’. I am not prepared for my family to be the washing machine for cricket’s dirty laundry."
Warner's appeal came after Cricket Australia (CA) altered their code of conduct, allowing the 36-year-old to appeal the ban that was handed to him in 2018 as a result of the ball tampering scandal. The Australian was caught by television cameras trying to rough up one side of the ball with sandpaper to make it swing.
A CA statement said any appeals would have to show that "exceptional circumstances exist to justify modifying a sanction", including whether a player has shown genuine remorse, their conduct since the original sanction and "whether sufficient time has passed to allow for reform or rehabilitation".
There had been calls for Warner to be named Australia's new ODI captain after Aaron Finch retired from the format in September, but Test skipper Pat Cummins was handed the responsibility instead. Should Finch also retire from the T20 format, Warner was muted as a prime candidate to replace him.
Warner claimed he had support from CA for the process not to include a cross-examination, but following the news it would he has withdrawn the appeal.
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"The review panel appears determined to expose me and my family to further humiliation and harm by conducting a media circus,” Warner added.
“I am not prepared to subject my family or my teammates to further trauma and disruption by accepting a departure from the way in which my application should be dealt with pursuant to the Code of Conduct.
“Some things are more important than cricket.”
