"He's lucky he's still playing!" - Fans give mixed reactions to David Warner's controversial withdrawal of application to lift captaincy ban
David Warner's withdrawal of the application to overturn his lifetime leadership ban has grabbed quite a few eyeballs over the past 24 hours. The senior Australian pro was clearly hurt by the way he has been treated by Cricket Australia and gave a series of statements on Wednesday, explaining why he was withdrawing his application.
Here's what Warner posted on Instagram:
In his series of statements, David Warner claimed that his family has once again been unnecessarily dragged into the whole scenario and that's something that he definitely doesn't want to compromise on to get the captaincy ban lifted.
Fans on Twitter had mixed reactions to Warner's decision. While some applauded him for his courage to speak out, others slammed him and his wife Candice for their statements as they felt David should be grateful that he is getting to wear the Baggy Green even after Sanderpapergate in 2018.
Here are some of the reactions:
People who hate on David Warner, really should have a look at this history of how other players have been treated through ball tampering. Actual Captains, given 2 games...TWO GAMES suspensions. And after those two games....it's FORGOTTEN!!! #AUSvWI
Good to see David Warner getting Backed by some good Aussie players🙏
Is it an unpopular opinion to think that David Warner's time in the Australian test team is up? At 36, I don't see the point of him continuing onto the Ashes given today's story from his manager.
#AUSvWI
Not sure why David Warner has to bring his family into it, but he's saved Cricket Australia from themselves, ironically enough, by withdrawing himself from a process, and potential decision, that should never have occured. Like, maybe a life ban should be just that?
#AUSvsWI
Hey David Warner, no one wants you as a leader.
WHY has the Australian Cricket Board even considered David Warner for the captains job? He’s lucky he’s still playing! The bloke is a thug. He’s only there cause he’s a freak with the bat. Sportsman? Not a hope! He never plays cricket in the spirit it’s supposed to be played.
Imagine the outrage if David Warner spoke out on behalf of Candace. There's a time for Candace to shut up...and for David to grow a pair...
The fact that David Warner came out strong despite the humiliation he and his family faced post the 2018 sandpaper gate makes me his fan. You need to be mentally tough to do it.I can guarantee that any other player would have retired after facing that kind of heat.
@megha_mallick Cause David Warner 'orchestrated the whole sandpaper gate 'and he himself admitted that!
And everyone knows his past demeanours as well! He has a history of indiscipline!
David Warner wife on Triple M this morning crying saying it’s been so tough on the family which it probably has but Cameron Bancroft probably won’t play for Australia again because he listened to Warner.
Smith & Warner were involved in same scandal,Smith is captaining today,Warner has lost all hopes of captaining Australia again.....feels weird captain at that time didn't get life ban but VC did.
Can’t help Cricket Australia are playing with fire with Warner, who increasingly has no reason not to lift the lid on some of the more obvious untruths about Sandpapergate. twitter.com/davidwarner31/…
They have absolutely cooked Warner. Asking him to drag his family and the Aussie team over the coals again so he *might* captain 3 BBL games. What an utter and complete mess from start to finish.
'I am not prepared for my family to be the washing machine for cricket's dirty laundry'
Strong words by David Warner and rightly so. Either you lift the ban or you don't. Reopening those scars after all this time is not helping anyone's cause. He has served his time and...
...there is no need for a public trial of all things well after that incident is history and everyone involved has moved on from it #CricketTwitter
Four years after sandpaper gate, #DavidWarner is still living with the leadership ban while #SteveSmith happens to lead Australia in the ongoing day-night Test against the Windies.
Certain things I fail to understand.
#AUSvsWI
David Warner was disappointed about the public trial
Cricket Australia had handed Warner a lifetime ban from captaincy after he was found guilty along with the then-captain Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft for tampering the ball with sandpaper in a Test match against South Africa in 2018.
The board's code of conduct was then revised earlier this year and it was made clear that players could appeal in response to a long-term sanction. Warner did file his application and a three-member independent committee was set to re-open the trial.
However, the southpaw expected the trial to be held in private, something that the committee didn't accept. A disheartened Warner then claimed that his family was dragged into all this by the trial being made public.
Even Cricket Australia couldn't do anything as the committee appointed had the right to take independent decisions according to the amended code of conduct.