With the captaincy position now vacant in the Australian ODI team, swashbuckling batter David Warner has expressed his desire to lead the unit in the format. The opener will have discussions with Cricket Australia to lift his leadership ban, which was slapped on him for his role after the infamous ball-tampering incident in South Africa back in 2018.
Finch hung his boots from the 50-over format after leading his side to a 3-0 clean sweep over New Zealand in the Chappell–Hadlee Trophy. With the 50-over World Cup approaching next year, the Australian management will look to fill the position with an ideal replacement.
Team coach Andrew McDonald had earlier told reporters that any announcement in this regard will be made only after the T20 World Cup.
“I have spoken to Nick Hockley, we’re going to try and have a catch up,” Warner was quoted as saying by foxsports.com.au. “It’s very difficult at the moment … but I’m sure in the next couple of weeks we might be able to. But there’s no rush for anything,” he added.
In the aftermath of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in South Africa, former skipper Steve Smith was stripped of the captaincy and banned from leading Australia for two years, while Warner was handed a more severe punishment — a lifelong leadership ban.
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For Warner, it would be a privilege to be entrusted with a leadership role again.
look, I think at the end of the day, any opportunity to captain would be a privilege,” Warner said.
“But, from my end, there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge, to have those conversations with Cricket Australia and my main focus is just actually playing cricket.”
However, Warner feels Australia Test captain Pat Cummins will be offered the job first.
“Obviously, Pat has the Test captaincy and he will be offered the job if he wants to take it, and rightfully so.”
“For me, I know everyone is talking about it and I’m being endorsed by a few people but it’s something for me, it’s just about making sure Cricket Australia, if they are going to have those conversations with me that they do have those conversations.”
-with PTI inputs
