Pat Cummins wants Cricket Australia (CA) to bring David Warner back into leadership role

GALLE: Australia Test captain Pat Cummins is reportedly putting pressure on Cricket Australia (CA) to overturn the leadership ban on batting stalwart David Warner, which was imposed on him in 2018 in the aftermath of the ball-tampering episode, or 'sandpaper-gate scandal', during the third Test in Cape Town, South Africa.

Warner and the-then skipper Steve Smith were banned for a year. While Smith was barred from taking up a leadership role for two years, Warner was banned from any such role for the rest of his professional life.

Cummins, who is currently leading the Australia side in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka in Galle, said he "disagrees" with the life-long leadership ban on Warner.

"I do have views. Fundamentally, banning someone for life I disagree with," Pat Cummins told The Herald Sun.

Cummins' comments come ahead of CA's scheduled board meeting next month where the Warner issue will likely come up for discussion.

"People are allowed to learn and improve and grow. So yeah, fundamentally I disagree with that concept. He's (Warner) a fantastic leader around our squad here. If he has a formal (leadership) role, he'd be fantastic with that as well. So if that ever came up, he'd be great," opined Cummins. IANS

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