- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
David Warner is well within his rights to withdraw the appeal for his leadership ban because he fears a “public lynching” but getting Cricket Australia offside is a big risk when you are 36 and haven’t hit a Test century since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Which is not to say CA should avoid criticism for the drawn-out saga surrounding Warner potentially getting his lifetime leadership ban lifted.
As per usual the CA chiefs have dillied and dallied in equal measure, forming committees of subcommittees to discuss whether they should plan a meeting to make a decision about whether too much bureaucratic red tape is ever enough.
CLICK HERE for a seven-day free trial to watch cricket on KAYO
Just like the Justin Langer coaching mess, the Tim Paine resignation passing of the buck and the Steve Smith BBL brouhaha – this summer and last – they have proved unable to take quick, decisive action when needed.
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
The only time they’ve acted swiftly on a major decision in recent memory was when they handed down the Sandpapergate sanctions quicker than a Cameron Bancroft sleight of hand magic trick. And they stuffed that up too with gross overreactions to punish Warner, Bancroft and Smith compared to every other ball-tampering incident in cricket history.
Warner revealed he applied a fortnight ago to have his leadership ban quashed while claiming CA’s counsel assisting the review panel had made “offensive and unhelpful comments about me”.
“They want to conduct a public spectacle to, in the panel’s words, have a ‘cleansing’. I am not prepared for my family to be the washing machine for cricket’s dirty laundry.
“It appears that the panel has given no more than passing consideration to issues of player welfare and the interests of Australian cricket and is instead determined to conduct a public lynching.”
Fighting words indeed.
Warner’s decision to issue his statement denouncing CA’s precious procedures via an Instagram post on Wednesday night less than 24 hours before the second Test against the West Indies I’m Adelaide could backfire immensely if he again fails to fire with the bat after making just 626 runs at 27.22 in his past 23 century-less innings.
A spokesman for CA responded by saying they were “disappointed with this outcome as our intention was to give David the opportunity to demonstrate why his lifetime leadership ban should be varied at an independent hearing and we amended our Code of Conduct accordingly”.
“We supported David’s wish for these discussions to be heard behind closed doors and respect his decision to withdraw his application.”
His former teammate Trent Copeland is one of Warner’s many supporters who believe he will make the critics eat their words by bouncing back to form despite calls for him to retire this summer before he is dropped.
“Davey Warner, singlehandedly almost, won us a T20 World Cup 12 months ago. His form in Australian conditions over many, many years in Test cricket is just unmatched at the top of the order,” the Channel Seven analyst told The Roar on Wednesday before news had broken of Warner’s CA stoush.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
“I think we need people like him, not just for runs, but the character that he is and how he takes on the big moments against someone like South Africa at home with the unbelievable bowling attack that they have.
“I think the question is who comes after Davey but that’s still a while away.
“The first innings (in Perth) was a wide half volley that he inside-edged onto the stumps. In a normal scenario if you bowled that ball to him 100 times, 98 times it’s going to the fence as fast as you can see it.
“I think he’ll be fine and I’ve got no doubt that he’s got that unwavering trust in his ability that if he gets through that first half-hour with the new ball in this game, then watch out.”
Copeland was pleased to see Scott Boland get the nod for the Adelaide Oval meeting with the Windies after Pat Cummins was ruled out with a thigh injury.
Scott Boland. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
He believes the Victorian 33-year-old seamer should be first cab off the rank to replace any of the big three fast bowlers of Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood at home or abroad after his 18 wickets in three Tests at an average less than 10 in the Ashes last summer.
“The best way to describe it is that anyone who’d played against him wasn’t surprised one bit. He did what he does and always does. For reliability and performances it’s going to hold him in good stead for any surface,” Copeland said.
“His skill set is perfect for Australian conditions, especially with the pink ball. He’s always been viewed as a dominant force with reverse swing (at Sheffield Shield level), he can go both ways with it. His accuracy and ability to find a length that hits the bails is a real strength.
“I couldn’t tell you a time where I’ve seen Scott Boland play or played against him and I didn’t think he bowled well. As long as he’s standing upright I think he’s established himself as the guy who’s there ready to go in all conditions.”
As someone who was a prolific wicket-taker for more than a decade with NSW but was only picked for three Tests on the 2011 Sri Lankan tour, Copeland can empathise with the likes of Michael Neser and Lance Morris being frustrated by how hard it is to get a run in the Test bowling attack.
Lance Morris of Western Australia celebrates taking the wicket of James Peirson of Queensland. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
He thinks Neser would not let anyone down if given another crack at the Test arena while Morris’ time will definitely come soon enough.
“Morris has got raw pace. He gets good players to do things they don’t want to do, which is a good measure of a quick bowler,” he said, adding that his recent form was reminiscent of the likes of former tearaways Brett Lee and Shaun Tait.
“He can stand the seam up, certainly swings the new ball and when the old ball comes around, he’s got the ability to not just blindly bowl reverse swing but to bring it back into the stumps and hitting them for LBWs and bowled.
“And when he’s bowling bouncers it’s not just raw pace with no care for height or accuracy, I couldn’t speak more highly of what I’ve seen so far but whether or not that’s good to go at the next level you’ll never know until it’s tested.
“He’s having an impact every time he plays Shield cricket, he’s certainly on the right trajectory.”