Sydney Thunder back David Warner to play leadership role in upcoming BBL season

The franchise officially announced 23-year-old Jason Sangha as captain for the competition on Wednesday, ending months of speculation regarding the role.

Warner has spent much of the past year battling to have a lifetime leadership ban reversed in order to enable him to captain at the elite level.

It's a process that has dragged on, with Cricket Australia recently changing their code of conduct to allow for penalties to be reconsidered based on good behaviour.

The former Test vice-captain released a statement on Wednesday night confirming he had pursued such a hearing but ultimately decided to withdraw his request due to the nature of the process.

The Australian opener's role as Sydney Thunder captain had been speculated since he signed a lucrative contract to return to the franchise after a nine-year absence for the final five games of the Big Bash season, plus finals.

Ultimately, the club had to make a decision and Sangha earned the nod. That does not mean, however, that Warner will not help lead the team when he joins the side in January.

"Wherever Dave plays, whether he's captain or not, he'll play a leadership role," Bayliss said. "In any team he plays in he's a leader, whether it's at the top level or below. I wouldn't envisage that would be any different for the Thunder."

MORE CANBERRA SPORT

Despite his youth, Sangha boasts an extensive leadership resume. The batter captained Australia at the 2018 Under 19 World Cup and is the NSW vice-captain.

The 23-year-old also stepped in to captain the Thunder last season while Usman Khawaja and Chris Green were unavailable.

Sangha has long been touted as a future Australian star and made waves when he scored an impressive century at just 18 in a tour match against England in 2017.

Bayliss said it was an easy decision to appoint the youngster his captain and predicted more leadership honours in the future.

"He's got the respect of the other players and he's tactically a good cricket brain," Bayliss said. "He eats, drinks and sleeps cricket and is a keen student of the game, like most captains are.

"He had a good season last year, he's got the respect of the players and they wouldn't have that respect for him if they didn't think he could do a job. That's all favourable for his future.

"He's a definite candidate for higher captaincy honours in the years to come. It was not just about how well he handled the situation last year but also about giving him experience moving forward."

In naming Sangha as captain, the Thunder have anointed their long-term leader for potentially the next decade. It's likely the only snag in that plan is if the batsman is drawn away from the Big Bash to represent his country.

It's a move, however, that could have implications for Warner's future captaincy aspirations.

The Thunder are viewing their wealth of leadership depth as a luxury and plan to utilise each player's individual skills to their advantage.

Warner and Sangha played together at Randwick-Petersham in 2018 while the Test opener was serving a 12-month ban for his role in the ball-tampering scandal.

So while Warner may not have the 'C' next to his name, he's expected to play a veteran's mentoring role that complements Sangha's youthful energy and tactical nous when they reunite this summer and into the future.

"Any captain wants 10 other players to be thinking like a captain and coming up with different ideas," Bayliss said. "If you've got 10 guys thinking about the game, it tells the captain he's got a team that's fully committed and trying to win the game.

"It's not just David Jason will be looking to for inspiration or leadership help. He's got a number of experienced guys in the team as well. One of the strengths of the team last year was how they worked well together, I don't think it will be any different this year."

Warner will not be available for Tuesday's season-opener against the Melbourne Stars at Manuka Oval due to his involvement in the Australian team.

It comes amid a tight Test schedule, Thursday's second West Indies clash followed by the South African series, commencing next Saturday in Brisbane.

The Thunder are determined to ensure they open their BBL campaign in winning fashion before Warner returns to provide a late-season boost and put on a show against the Melbourne Renegades at Manuka Oval on January 19.

"We'll be losing three of our overseas players so to get David on board is an absolute bonus," Bayliss said. "He knows a lot of the NSW boys in the team, he should feel comfortable in our side and the other boys will feel comfortable in his presence.

"Twenty20 cricket is all about entertainment and putting on a show. David will go out and play with confidence and that will put us in a good position to win. We'll be trying to not just win but to put on a show for the fans."

BIG BASH LEAGUE OPENER

SYDNEY THUNDER v MELBOURNE STARS

Tuesday at Manuka Oval, 7.15pm

We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: