Sydney Thunder have named David Warner as their new captain for the 2024-25 edition of the Big Bash League.
Cricket Australia had imposed a lifetime ban on Warner in the aftermath of the Cape Town ball-tampering incident of 2017-18. At that point, Warner was the vice-captain of the national side, and had led Australia when captain Steve Smith was unavailable. CA’s Code of Conduct Commission overturned that ban on October 25.
Sydney Thunder have now named him their captain for the 2024-25 BBL. Apart from Warner’s ban being lifted, the decision might also have had to do with Thunder finishing last in 2023-24 under Chris Green.
Warner was the first captain of the Thunder, though he had led them only once, in 2011-12, when he smashed the first hundred in BBL history – a 51-ball 102 not out against the Melbourne Stars. Daniel Smith stepped in as Warner went away on international duty for the rest of the season.
He played once for the Sydney Sixers in 2012-13, but did not feature in the BBL again until 2022-23, when he returned to the Thunder. This will be his third consecutive season for the Thunder.
Between the ban and its overturn, Warner has led the Sylhet Sixers in the BPL, the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Delhi Capitals at the IPL, and the Dubai Capitals at the ILT20.
Since his CA ban, Warner has captained teams in the BPL, IPL, and ILT20. The last time he led an Australian team was when he captained the T20I side against New Zealand in 2018.
From 385 T20s, Warner has scored 12,411 runs at a strike rate of 140. He has hit eight hundreds. At the BBL, his 301 runs have come at 134.
The Sydney Thunder play their first match of BBL 2024-25 against the Adelaide Strikers at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on December 17.
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