Warner talks up captain chances
DAVID Warner has claimed that his strong stance in cricket’s infamous pay war was the reason why he copped a lifetime leadership ban, as the prospect of a shared captaincy arrangement came into view.
Pat Cummins will be offered the ODI captaincy in the wake of Aaron Finch’s retirement, but if he feels he has enough on his plate as Test skipper, Warner believes he could do a strong job for Australia as a leader at next year’s 50-over World Cup.
First and foremost though, Warner would need to have his controversial life ban from a leadership position in Australian cricket overturned, as he plans to meet CA chief executive Nick Hockley in coming weeks for an open discussion.
The CA board has changed since the sandpapergate incident in 2018, and Warner wants to stress to current directors his belief that he was punished because he was the voice of the players during a 2017 pay dispute.
“Unfortunately a lot of the events before 2018 were with the board – the MOU stuff and all that,” Warner told News Corp at the Kayo summer launch. “… Things got over and above in terms of more than just Cape Town. There was more to it.
“I think that’s where my decision – the penalty that was handed down – was more of stuff that was happening before that.
“… I think at the end of the day it’s about what questions do they (the CA board) want to ask me. That’s where the conversation starts …
“Any opportunity to captain would be a privilege.”
Cummins said on Tuesday that captaining all three formats and being expected to play every match would be “unrealistic” – but the Test skipper did not rule out taking on the white ball captaincy provided he had a trusted vicecaptain to take the reins when he’s rested from the side.
Warner, a Kayo ambassador who will commentate on Fox Cricket’s monster summer of cricket, said if Cummins wants the job, it should be his. He believes, however, that he would bring something to the role if asked.
“Obviously Pat has the Test captaincy, and he will be offered the job if he wants to take it and rightfully so,” said Warner.
“… I think I have a lot of leadership qualities. And I know what I bring to the table as a leader.”