Ban has BBL stumped

Captaincy the carrot to tempt Warner back home

CRICKET Australia will need to lift its controversial captaincy ban on David Warner if it ever wants him to play in the Big Bash again.

Warner is banned for life from holding an official leadership role in Australian cricket following his part in the balltampering scandal.

But that decision — one based on emotion and that is hard to justify now when he is successfully skippering teams overseas — is no longer punishment for Warner and is serving only to hurt the domestic game.

It looks all the more ridiculous at a time when broadcasters Seven and Fox and Cricket Australia are desperately trying to inject new life into the BBL.

Test captaincy great Ian Chappell has said he cannot understand how Steve Smith is allowed to lead again but Warner is not.

While a ban from leading Australian teams is one thing, continuing to dismiss what Warner could offer the BBL is counter- productive.

Warner said on Monday he would not play in the BBL until retired from international cricket due to the demands of the schedule, but it’s hard to see why he would return at all unless he felt his leadership was valued.

In the IPL, Warner is a titlewinning captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Renowned

Kiwi skipper

Kane Williamson is his deputy.

If Warner’s pedigree of winning big Twenty20 matches is not something Big Bash bosses want, they have a different understanding of star power than their broadcasters.

Cricket Australia has introduced three BBL rule changes that have polarised opinion, but Warner said securing the best talent was what mattered.

“If you can get the Australian players and the best international players coming out to play, that would probably fix that issue they’re trying to tinker with, with the rules,” Warner said.

It’s understood Warner last year turned down a Sydney Thunder offer to play for the first time since 2013- 14.

From next season the Thunder might be able to offer him the captaincy, too, after Callum Ferguson announced his retirement from first- class cricket.

But CA would have to pave the way first. Warner is at the top of any T20 wish list and it would be a missed opportunity for Cricket Australia if it cannot convince him to play the BBL deep into his 30s — just as Shane Watson, Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey and others have done over the years.

It’s not simply because he’s box office, but for the way his presence could help develop the generation of young players lining up with or against him.

The BBL needs Warner more than he needs the BBL.