Sydney Thunder have officially abandoned plans for David Warner to wear the captain’s armband in his Big Bash comeback season, despite teammates welcoming the chance to be led by the opener.
Cricket Australia recently changed their code of conduct to allow for previous penalties to be reconsidered for good behaviour, opening the door for Warner to once more take on a leadership role having been banned following his involvement in the 2018 Cape Town ball-tampering scandal.
The Thunder wanted to have Warner available to deputise for young skipper Jason Sangha this season, but there has been no communication from the governing body giving Warner the green light, prompting the Thunder to throw 23-year-old Sangha the armband for the summer campaign.
Thunder boss Andrew Gilchrist told the Herald and The Age Warner could not be considered while there had been no official change of heart from CA about his lifetime punishment. But he insisted Sangha would not disappoint.
“We actually haven’t heard anything [from CA], and I don’t think there’s been a resolution there,” said Gilchrist, in reference to Warner being allowed captain.
“As far as we’re concerned, there hasn’t been a resolution with Dave’s ban, so we’ve gone with Jase Sangha … Dave isn’t available, so he wasn’t considered in that regard.
The Thunder have dumped plans to install David Warner as their captain.Credit:The Age
“Jase has been on the radar since he captained last Big Bash, he did an outstanding job, and he really impressed [coach] Trevor Bayliss. To be honest, Jase is the future of our club.”
Warner said last month he was not a “criminal” and “I understand they put a ban in place, but banning someone for life I think is harsh”.
Sangha attended the BBL launch in Sydney on Monday and spoke about how excited he was to play alongside Warner, with whom he played at Randwick-Petersham while the left-hander completed his ban from the game.
Such was his respect for Warner that Sangha said he would have been honoured to see him lead the western Sydney franchise.
High-flyer … Jason Sangha gets some serious hang time at Monday’s BBL launch.Credit:Brendon Thornee/Getty Images
“He’s won the Indian Premier League captaining the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the past, he’s a very smart cricketer, and anyone would be happy to play under him as captain,” Sangha said. “His tactical awareness about the game is second to none. If he wanted to come back and captain, he can have it.
“He’s played almost 100 Tests for a reason, and dominated bowlers around the world for a reason. He knows a thing or two about cricket.
“I think it’s fantastic he’s coming back, he’ll teach our young batters and players about the art of Twenty20 cricket, as well as the art of one-day and Test cricket.
“He’s the type of person who will always sit down and want to have a chat and give feedback to players. He’s also a bit of a joker in the room – he’ll bring that calmness and bit of fun, but also his cricket smarts.”
Hilton Cartwright (Melbourne Stars), Nic Maddinson (Melbourne Renegades), Peter Siddle (Adelaide Strikers), Josh Philippe (Sydney Sixers), Aaron Hardie (Perth Scorchers), Jason Sangha (Sydney Thunder), Nathan Ellis (Hobart Hurricanes) and Sam Billings (Brisbane Heat) at the launch of the KFC BBL 12 season at The Venue in Sydney.Credit:Phil Hillyard
Big Bash chief Alistair Dobson said Warner was the type of drawcard who would “bring fans through the gate”, but the captaincy debate was a question best left for the CA board.
Dobson added the shocking crowd numbers for the opening Test in Perth would not extend to the BBL, which kicks off next Tuesday in Canberra when the Thunder host the Melbourne Stars next Tuesday.
Meanwhile, cross-town rivals the Sixers are early favourites to clinch another title, and Josh Philippe welcomed the pre-tournament hype.
One player who will not be returning to the Sixers is Steve Smith, who was bizarrely denied the chance by CA to make a BBL finals cameo last summer. The Sixers’ final two spots on their roster will be filled by local players.
Philippe, who enters a sixth season with the BBL heavyweights, said of pushing deep into another campaign: “When I first came here we were definite underdogs, but I think we’ve played in three finals in a row, won two titles, didn’t quite get over the line last year, but there’s no reason we can’t make another final this year and give it a crack.”
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