David Warner has finally been appointed as the captain of Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League (BBL) six years after the infamous ball-tampering incident at Newlands. His appointment follows his recent clearance to resume captaining from Cricket Australia (CA). Warner was banned from captaining following his involvement in the infamous, scandalous affair known as the Sandpaper-gate episode during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town in 2018.
“Captaining the Thunder again this season means a lot to me,” Warner said in a statement on Wednesday.
“I was part of the team from the start, and now to be back with that ‘C’ next to my name feels fantastic.
“I’m looking forward to leading from the front and sharing my experience with the young talent coming through.”
“(It) isn’t just about winning, it’s about setting up our young players for success, surrounding them with leadership on and off the field,” Trent Copeland said.
“It’s not only about his career; it’s about the legacy he’s creating, especially for his family and the next generation of players.”
Warner and the former Australia captain, Steve Smith, were given one-year suspensions in international cricket, while Bancroft was handed nine-month suspensions.
With his leadership ban over, Thunder general manager Trent Copeland had already hinted the player would become captain in the wake of his leader’s resignation. This is huge for both the player and the club as Warner will be writing a new page in his career after taking retirement from international cricket, which he announced recently.
