Commentators have taken aim at Cricket Australia and its handling of the independent panel process in the wake of David Warner’s stunning statement, which has divided the opinion of Aussie greats.
Warner on the eve of the Adelaide test released a statement via his social media channels, confirming he’d withdrawn his appeal to overturn his leadership ban.
The 36-year-old and former Australian vice-captain unloaded in the detailed statement, claiming the independent panel had made “offensive” comments and wanted “a public trial of me and what occurred during the Third Test at Newlands”.
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Warner’s wife, Candice, doubled down on the explosive statement during an emotional radio interview on Thursday, while his manager James Erskine took aim at CA after his client had “done everything he possibly could” for the sport and organisation.
Speaking on SEN Mornings, veteran broadcaster Gerard Whateley said Warner’s statement suggested CA had “botched the formation of their independent panel to hear such a manner”.
He said the review was “as poorly executed a judicial moment as I can think of in a major sport in this country”.
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“It did seem as though both Warner and Cricket Australia want this followed under the usual process that the code of conduct hearings are held in private – and yet this independent body and counsel assisting were insisting it be public? That’s frankly bizarre,” Whateley told SEN.
“I actually think independence in a moment like this is fraught with risk. It’s Cricket Australia’s business to deal with – deal with it.
“I think the process has exploded now and the only way this resolves is if Cricket Australia actually takes control of it and has its own hearing and its own finding and either lifts the lifetime leadership ban or reinforces it. Do either, but do one, own it yourself, you were prepared to own it at the time.
“I’m absolutely supportive of the penalties that were handed down at the time to meet the circumstances and the public reaction to its cricket team. They had the fortitude to do it then, they should have the fortitude to do it now.”
Australian cricketing legend Ian Healy, who played 119 Tests and took 366 catches behind the stumps, threw his support behind Warner, suggesting the statement was “one of the best things” he could do.
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“In an 800-word withdrawal, he spoke a lot of sense,” Healy told SENQ.
“He had the support of Cricket Australia, they’d already gone through the effort of changing a clause in a constitution somewhere that can say ‘yes this can be looked at and possibly approved that we can overturn the decision that was made whilst the boys were over in South Africa’ – and the independent panel have decided ‘no, this needs to be public’.
“They haven’t named their own names yet, but they wanted the trial in public – and it seemed to be a trial of Warner’s crime again. The smallish crime of attempting to scratch a cricket ball and setting that up – that’s done.”
“The trial was supposed to be about the punishment he received for that and they wanted to go through everything all again in public? Come on.
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“Warner put a lot of time into that (statement). He’s had this decision for about a week, so he’s prepared this 800-word document very well.
“Now, I would like to see a similar style response by the independent panel.”
Healy also believes Warner “saved cricket” by keeping everything that was already behind closed doors secret to the public.
He even thanked him for avoiding the spectacle Warner described as a “public lynching”.
“He has saved cricket here. That panel was going to air cricket’s problems, why? Why would they do that when every other aspect of the negotiations with the Australian Cricketers’ Association, for example, are endeavouring to stay behind closed doors very well?” Healy said.
“Don’t air those negotiations, get the job done, no matter what it takes behind closed doors, very much like the Rugby League Players’ Association and the Commission and the NRL and the clubs. They’re circling without us knowing exactly what’s going on.
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“I agree with David Warner that it doesn’t need to be in public – unless I get convinced by their response today – and I thank him for saving cricket.”
Meanwhile, former Test cricket Simon O’Donnell disagreed with Warner’s claim the review was for “cricket to air its dirty laundry”, instead pointing the blame back on Warner.
“David Warner copped his right whack for what he did. The bit I still wonder where he’s at with it … one of his statements was ‘for cricket to air its dirty laundry’ – it’s not cricket’s dirty laundry. It’s David Warner’s dirty laundry,” O’Donnell told SEN Breakfast.
“The situation was caused by David Warner and his co-conspirators – it’s not (the fault of) cricket. This isn’t about cricket, this is about David Warner. That’s the bit I don’t like … the individual isn’t bigger than the game of cricket.”
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O’Donnell said he would’ve had “no problem” if Warner’s ban had eventually been overturned.
He said the hearing shouldn’t have been aired in public and it was Warner’s right to withdraw from the process, but added: “What you can’t walk away from is the responsibility that we got to this situation in the first place not because of cricket.
“It’s not something that cricket, as a whole, caused. It’s something that an individual or individuals within cricket caused. That’s the bit I’m not sure David Warner – and I’m not sure about the other two guys – takes full responsibility for what’s going on here.
“Stop blaming the game of cricket. The game of cricket has made you who you are, has given the opportunity to earn the wealth you have – so please, stop trying to turn it around and say it’s cricket’s dirty laundry. It is your dirty laundry.”
But Whateley said his sympathies were “absolutely with Warner in the way this has played out”.
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“That’s probably the first time I’ve felt this way across the five years,” Whateley told SEN Mornings.
“The idea that he raised of a public cleansing, that’s not the appeals process that he was encouraged to become a part of.
“I can’t see Warner as captain of Australia again, but I absolutely think he does have the right to go through a process to captain the (Sydney) Thunder in the BBL, where most would acknowledge that he is a drawcard for a competition that desperately needs it.
“So Cricket Australia have taken nine months to put together the process for him to be able to do that. There was no right of appeal within their set-up for a long-term penalty such as this.
“They’ve come up with an independent panel who, it would appear from reading Warner’s statement, have decided that what they would like is a public hearing on what transpired with sandpaper.
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“I think Warner is right to depict that as it would degenerate into a lynch mob.
“This may well be what Australia has wanted the whole way through: A full explanation of what happened.
“It’s worth remembering that Cricket Australia at the time had a really narrow investigation, a really narrow outcome and really narrow penalties – and they seemed to have such a distaste to discuss it publicly that the last time I asked the chief executive whether he had even read the report of the time, he wouldn’t answer that question.
“Cricket Australia wants none of this public and all of a sudden, they’ve got their independent panel who would like to run a total public process for a cleansing. That’s wretchedly unfair for Warner.”
