David Warner has withdrawn his bid to have his lifetime captaincy ban lifted, accusing the independent panel conducting the review of wanting to publicly lynch him.
In a bombshell development on the eve of the Adelaide Test, Warner also claimed counsel assisting the review had made offensive and unhelpful comments about him during the initial process.
In a lengthy 793-word statement posted on his Instagram page, Warner revealed he had applied to have his leadership ban lifted a fortnight ago.
Under the belief the review would centre more on his own growth since the 2018 ball-tampering saga, Warner said he was dismayed to be told the review would include a cross-examination on the issue.
AAP has been told that process would have included a hearing with members of the media present.
Cricket Australia has since confirmed they supported the 36-year-old’s push to have that process changed, but both were on Wednesday told by the independent panel of code-of-conduct commissioners they were holding firm on the matter.
“In effect, counsel assisting, and, it appears, to some extent the review panel, want to conduct a public trial of me and what occurred during the Third Test at Newlands,” Warner said.
“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.
“And the review panel appears determined to expose me and my family to further humiliation and harm by conducting a media circus.”
The situation arose after the players’ union first pushed for Warner to be able to appeal his ban in February, before CA changed their Code of Conduct last month to allow long-standing bans to be reviewed.
Warner himself also pointed to Article 10.7 of the code, which he claimed stated “that the hearing is not an appeal of the original decision or a new review of the offence”.
The opener claimed while the counsel assisting had been removed, the panel had little regard for his or his teammates’ welfare in wanting to re-open the case.
“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,” Warner wrote.
Warner said he felt he had no choice but to drop his application, ending his hopes of ever captaining Australia or a domestic team in the country again.
“Regrettably, I have no practical alternative at this point in time but to withdraw my application,” Warner said.
“I am not prepared to subject my family or my teammates to further trauma and disruption by accepting a departure from the way in which my application should be dealt with pursuant to the Code of Conduct.
“Some things are more important than cricket.”
In his statement, Warner also remained adamant he had rehabilitated significantly since the ball-tampering saga and he also had deep regret and remorse.
“Since that Test and even though my ban from leadership roles may never be lifted, I have taken it upon myself to reform, to rehabilitate and to transform my approach to the game,” he said.
CA confirmed on Wednesday night they had backed Warner on the situation, but question remains over how they allowed the process to be taken so significantly out of their hands.
“We are 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,” a spokesman said.
“We supported David’s wish for these discussions to be heard behind closed doors and respect his decision to withdraw his application.
“David is a very senior and highly regarded member of the Australian team who has been a great ambassador for the game as a whole since his return from a year-long ban.”
