A change to Cricket Australia's code of conduct procedures have been confirmed, but opening batsman David Warner is less than impressed.
The star Australian was slapped with a 12-month playing ban and lifetime leadership ban in 2018 after the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town.
Warner was hit harder than his teammates, with Steve Smith able to return to leadership roles after a year although he received the same suspension as Warner from playing, while Cameron Bancroft was suspended from playing for nine months.
A review into the code of conduct procedures launched in February by Cricket Australia has today finally returned a result which will allow Warner to push for the right to hold a leadership role again.
Warner though said the process should never have taken nine months, suggesting it made him look like he was campaigning when the opposite was true.
"It's frustrating because we could have done this about nine months ago (in February) when it was first brought up," Warner said at a Kayo Sports launch event on Monday.
"It's a tad disappointing that when you make a decision in 2018 it's in four days, and then this takes nine months.
"It actually makes me look like I'm campaigning, which I'm totally not, so from my perspective that's where it's been disappointing.
"It's good to get in a position where it gives me an opportunity to ring up the integrity unit to have a word to them and put forward my case.
"It's been drawn out and it's traumatic for me and my family and everyone else who was involved in it; we don't need to relive what happened."
The specific rules that have been changed mean an appeal will now be able to be heard even if players forwent the right to an initial hearing, as Warner, Smith and Bancroft did following the Cape Town incident.
"Any applications will be considered by a three-person review panel, comprising independent Code of Conduct Commissioners," CA said in a statement.
"(They) must be satisfied that exceptional circumstances exist to justify modifying a sanction.
"These circumstances and considerations will include whether the subject of the sanction has demonstrated genuine remorse, the subject's conduct and behaviour since the imposition of the sanction, whether rehabilitation programs have been completed undertaken (if applicable) and the length of time that has passed since the sanction was imposed, and whether sufficient time has passed to allow for reform or rehabilitation."
Warner could be in line to captain both Australia's T20 team and the Sydney Thunder in the coming months, with Aaron Finch potentially set to retire from the shortest form of the game after doing so from ODI cricket following a series against New Zealand this summer.
Finch is yet to make his decision, and while Pat Cummins replaced him in the ODI team, it's unlikely the quick would captain all three formats, potentially leaving Warner as the front-runner ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the United States of America and West Indies, with Steve Smith unable to hold down a consistent place in the team.
Warner, on his part, suggested the lifetime ban was harsh, although he could understand the reasoning.
"I'm not a criminal," the powerful left-hander said.
"You should get the right of an appeal at some stage.
"I understand that they put a ban in place, but banning someone for life, I think it's a bit harsh.
"I'm a leader in the team, no matter what, you (just) don't need to see a C or a VC next to my name."
It's unclear when, or if, Warner will have his case heard, although it's known both the Sydney Thunder and Cricket New South Wales will support the opening batsman.
