David Warner has accepted the sanctions handed down to him by Cricket Australia for the ball-tampering incident in the Cape Town Test. The former vice-captain was banned from all international cricket, and the domestic matches that place in Australia, for 12 months. He will also never be considered for a leadership position within the team in the future.
“I have today let Cricket Australia know that I fully accept the sanctions imposed on me,” Warner said on Twitter. “I am truly sorry for my actions and will now do everything I can to be a better person, teammate and role model.”
Warner made his intentions public a day after former captain Steven Smith and Cameron Bancroft had also chosen not to challenge the bans imposed on them. All three players had been given the right to take the matter to a hearing and push for leniency. They had until 5 pm local time on Thursday to make their decisions; Warner made his with little over an hour left on the clock. As a result, he will only be eligible to play for Australia sometime in April 2019. The 50-over World Cup in England begins on May 30.
On Tuesday, the Australian Cricketers’ Association appealed to CA to reduce the sanctions on all three players, suggesting the punishment was disproportionate to the crime – ball-tampering. The incident itself took place on the third day at Newlands when Bancroft was caught on camera rubbing the ball with sandpaper. An investigation by CA’s Head of Integrity, Iain Roy, claimed that Warner had come up with the idea and got Bancroft to tamper with the ball, while Smith was in knowledge of the plan and did not prevent it.
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