IND vs AUS: David Warner becomes Australia team captain before Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Veteran Australia opening batter David Warner has been appointed as the Sydney Thunder captain for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) 2024-25 season.

David Warner's appointment comes after Cricket Australia (CA) decided to lift the left-handed batter's lifetime leadership ban last month.

Cricket Australia had imposed a lifetime leadership ban on Warner after his involvement in the ball-tampering scandal in 2018 during the South Africa tour.

The 38-year-old batter appealed the ban last month, and Cricket Australia's Code of Conduct Commission lifted the lifetime leadership ban on Warner.

The Last Piece Of That Puzzle For Me - David Warner

David Warner will lead the Sydney Thunder in the upcoming Big Bash League season. He had limited appearances in previous BBL seasons due to international commitments. However, the left-handed batter will now be available for the full season after retiring from all formats of international cricket.

"Quite clearly that was the last piece of that puzzle for me, and now it's about coming out and sharing my knowledge of the game," Warner said on being able to move on from the leadership ban.

"Forever, that was probably going to be on my CV as well. You don't want to look back when you go for a job interview and have 'banned for life from a leadership perspective' on your CV. That's something that I'll be able to now share with my girls moving forward that I'm able to actually be a leader," he added.

Two Years Ago That Was Probably Me Done - David Warner

David Warner said that he had attempted to overturn his leadership ban in 2022. He revealed that he thought his chances were gone after a failed attempt and public calls for a hearing. The southpaw said that he feels relieved that the ban has been lifted on leadership.

"I think two years ago that was probably me done. I thought I probably wouldn't revisit that. I didn't even know if I was going to come back and play Big Bash," he said.

"I was at that stage I was playing a Test match series [in 2022]..it could have easily been done prior to the series started but that's why I withdrew it and I wanted to revisit that now. It's all done and dusted. I'm not playing for the Australian cricket team anymore and we don't have to put the team in the spotlight."

David Warner Captained Sydney Thunder In BBL 2011

Since his leadership ban, Warner has led teams in various leagues, including the BPL, IPL, and ILT20. He last led an Australian team in a T20I match against New Zealand in 2018. The Sydney Thunder will begin their Big Bash League campaign against the Adelaide Strikers on December 17 in Canberra.

Warner captained the Sydney Thunder in their first-ever BBL match in 2011 against the Melbourne Stars. He never played more than six games in a BBL season due to international commitments. Overall, he has scored 301 runs in 11 innings at an average of 33.44 and a strike rate of 134.38.

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