"Couldn't be happier that David Warner told Cricket Australia the equivalent of 'go and get stuffed'" - Ian Chappell
Former Australian captain Ian Chappell lauded David Warner for withdrawing his request to overturn the ban on his lifetime leadership and avoid a public hearing. Chappell also took a dig at Cricket Australia (CA), stating they are only concerned with protecting their own interests.
Last week, Warner announced his decision to withdraw his request to lift the lifetime leadership ban imposed on him by CA. In a lengthy social media post, the 36-year-old cited that the counsel assisting the review panel made some offensive remarks against him.
He added that he didn't want himself or his family to go through those events again.
In his column for ESPN Cricinfo, Chappell stated:
"I couldn't be happier that David Warner told Cricket Australia the equivalent of 'go and get stuffed' when he went public about his decision to withdraw his request for a review of his captaincy ban.
"This indicated Warner - who had been advised by CA against a public outburst - didn't trust the authorities to be mindful of his interests. It was a wise decision by Warner as CA is renowned for only protecting their own interests, not those of players."
The 78-year-old feels this episode should be a lesson for the young players as well with respect to Cricket Australia's modus operandi. He stated that the ban placed on Warner was 'appalling' in the first place:
"Young players should be thankful Warner has exposed CA's tendencies for back-side protecting. They need to keep it in mind for the future.
"Most importantly, though, Warner's withdrawal of his review highlights how appalling the original decision to award him a lifetime leadership ban was. Warner and Steve Smith should have received the same leadership punishment after the Cape Town incident."
Speaking to SEN Test Cricket, Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley expressed his disappointment at David Warner's comments. He insisted that Warner had misunderstood the appeal process and explained that it was about looking at the sanctions and whether he had shown behavioral improvements.
"He's too old to be considered for a captaincy position" - Ian Chappell on David Warner
Despite all that has transpired, Ian Chappell feels David Warner didn't stand a chance to captain Australia due to his age:
"I doubt Warner was expecting to gain a leadership position in the Australia set-up even with a successful review of the ban he received after the ball-tampering debacle in South Africa in 2018.
"He's too old to be considered for a captaincy position in the Australian regime despite the fact that he has always had great leadership instincts."
First wicket for West Indies - Warner chops on off Chase's first ball #AUSvWI https://t.co/PnLbrlPbqH
Nevertheless, the immediate requirement for Warner is to score runs in Test cricket after an extended lean patch, including in the ongoing series against the West Indies.