david-warner

Picture Credit: Cricket Australia

Australia star batter David Warner is looking to have leadership talks with the Cricket Australia (CA) chief Nick Hockley, where he will try to convince them to lift the lifetime captaincy ban enforced on him following the 'sandpaper-gate scandal' in 2018.

During the Test series in South Africa in 2018, three Australia players including then-skipper Steve Smith, his deputy David Warner, and  Cameron Bancroft were banned from playing domestic and international cricket for 12 months for an alleged ball-tampering issue in the third Test match against the Proteas.

After the appointment of new board members, Warner is eyeing to hold leadership talks and end his captaincy ban. Warner told Fox Sports on Tuesday, "Any opportunity you get asked to captain or whatnot, it’s a privilege."

The 35-year-old star opener added, "For my circumstances, that’s in Cricket Australia’s hands and I can only concentrate on what I have to do, and that’s using the bat and trying to get as many runs as I can.  My phone’s here. At the end of the day, what’s done in the past is done. There’s a new board and I’m always happy to sit down and have a chat about anything."

Earlier, Warner was handed a lifetime captaincy ban by the-then Cricket Australia board chairman David Peever and removed from the role of the Aussie vice-captain following his involvement in the sandpaper scandal in 2018.

Meanwhile, Australia are scheduled to tour India for three-match T20I series taking place from September 20 to 25. Australia will host the likes of West Indies and England for two and three-match T20I series, respectively ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.