Warner will not appeal 12-month suspension
David Warner has accepted the 12-month ban handed out by Cricket Australia and stressed he is “truly sorry” for his role in the balltampering scandal.
The former Australia vice-captain was regarded as the ringleader as the tourists were caught attempting to manipulate the condition of
the ball in last month’s third Test against South Africa at Cape Town.
He posted on Twitter yesterday: “I have today let Cricket Australia know that I fully accept the sanctions imposed on me. I am truly sorry for my actions and will now do everything I can to be a better person, team-mate and role model.”
Captain Steve Smith was also banned for a year, with opening batsman Cameron Bancroft suspended for nine months following a CA investigation which revealed he had used sandpaper to try to alter the state of the ball.
The Australian Cricketers’ Association on Tuesday called on CA to reconsider the sanctions on the players, saying they did not follow precedent for the type of offence. But Smith and Bancroft both announced that they would not be appealing against their bans.
CA yesterday issued a statement acknowledging that all three had accepted their suspensions.
The organisation’s chief executive, James Sutherland, said: “The events of Cape Town have severely affected the game. It has also been humbling to be reminded of the passion all Australians have for our great game.
“These are significant penalties for professional cricketers. They were not imposed lightly. We know the players will return to playing the game they love, and in doing so, we hope that they can also rebuild their careers and regain the trust of fans.”
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said he felt reactions at home had been exaggerated.
“The cultural issue for me is really an interesting thing,” Ponting, head coach of the Delhi Daredevils team in the Indian Premier League, said. “Because if we wind the clock back just a couple of months, when Australia won the Ashes as they did, there was no talk about cultural problems or issues whatsoever.
“I honestly feel on this occasion the cultural stuff that’s been spoken about has probably been blown out of proportion.”
Australia’s two-time World Cupwinning captain said he was “shocked” by the controversy.
“As Australians, we like to play the game hard, we like to play the game fair. Fans expect the Australian player to play that way,” he added.