Cricket Australia amended its player code of conduct policy Monday, paving the way for David Warner to apply to have his lifetime leadership ban lifted.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The dynamic opener and former Test vice-captain was banned from any leadership role in Australia over his part in the Cape Town ball-tampering affair in 2018.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He was also slapped with a one-year playing suspension but bounced back to reclaim his place in the national side across all three formats of the game.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Under Cricket Australia's amended policy, Warner will now be able to request a review of his captaincy ban before a panel of three code of conduct commissioners.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The 36-year-old must show that "exceptional circumstances exist to justify modifying a sanction", including demonstrating remorse and evidence of improved behaviour.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The new rule "acknowledges that players and player support personnel are capable of genuine reform or rehabilitation".<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"It is intended to provide the player or player support personnel with an opportunity to resume their previously held positions or responsibilities in specific circumstances," CA added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Under the previous code of conduct, players had no right to review a sanction once it had been accepted.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Pat Cummins is currently Australia's Test and ODI captain and Aaron Finch skipper of the T20 side.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
A lifting of Warner's ban would make him a prime candidate to take over the T20 captaincy should Finch step down, as he recently did from the 50-over format.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Warner would also be in the mix, alongside Steve Smith, Josh Hazlewood and Alex Carey, to deputise for Cummins or act as his vice-captain. It could also allow him to lead his Big Bash League side Sydney Thunder.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Warner was cast as the key villain in the "Sandpaper-gate" ball-tampering scandal against South Africa in 2018, having conspired with then-skipper Smith and Cameron Bancroft to alter the ball during the third Test in Cape Town.<\/p>\r\n\r\n