'Healing' awaits David Warner after Cricket Australia leadership ban breakthrough

In the third Test in 2018 against South Africa at Newlands, Warner was found to have instigated an illegal tactic of using sandpaper on the ball, with teammates Cameron Bancroft and then-captain Steve Smith also involved.

The ball-tampering scandal prompted Cricket Australia to hand down unprecedented sanctions on the trio, which included a lifetime leadership ban for Warner.

By accepting the sanction at the time, the sport's code of ethics meant that Warner waived the right to review the ban in the future.

But now over four years after the infamous incident at Cape Town, Warner is seen as a top prospect to take the captaincy reins of the one-day international side from Aaron Finch and possibly with the Sydney Thunder.

As a senior player currently showcasing top form and seemingly holding the respect of his teammates, Warner would be in the box seat - were it not for his ban.

But that may change very soon after Cricket Australia's board met in Hobart on Friday to discuss amending their code of conduct, which would allow Warner to challenge his ban and potentially take on a captaincy role at domestic or international level again.

"The onus would be on the applicant to prove they had undergone genuine reform relevant to the offence they were sanctioned for," Cricket Australia's statement read following the board meeting.

"Any review of a penalty would be heard by an independent code of conduct commission."

Former NRL chief executive Greenberg has advocated for Warner in his role as chief executive of the Cricketers' Association, and knows how much the breakthrough decision would mean.

"I'm sure it would be healing for him," Greenberg told The Canberra Times.

"We've been very vocal on this that David has a lot of opportunity to contribute to Australian cricket.

"He made some mistakes, he admitted that. But using the lessons of his past into a leadership role can only be good, not just for David, but for the next generation."

Greenberg said Warner's leadership has been subtly on display within the Australian team across different formats already.

"David has so much to offer Australian cricket, both on the field, and with the presence he has around the dressing room," Greenberg said.

"That's evidenced by the way you see him carry himself in team environments and I think that's really important.

"I saw it first-hand in Pakistan. I watched the way he interacted with the team, I watched the way younger players look up to him, and it would be a real loss that for Australian cricket if he wasn't afforded an opportunity to captain whether it's at the Big Bash League or the national level.

"It's difficult because they have to change their own policies, and that's not easy.

"I hope he does get a chance before his career finishes to lead and to demonstrate to others how good a leader he can be."

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