Cricket Australia (CA) has scrapped the lifetime leadership ban on David Warner that was controversially handed down in the wake of the Newlands ball-tampering incident. 

The suspension had been the last remaining sanction in place from the “Sandpaper-gate” saga, of which Warner was considered the architect.

An independent three-member review panel unanimously determined Warner met the criteria to have his ban overturned after the former Test opener lodged an appeal with CA.

Among the submissions they received that factored into their decisions were letters of reference from current Australia men’s captain Pat Cummins, former national captains Greg Chappell and Lisa Sthalekar, as well as men’s coach Andrew McDonald and New Zealand star Kane Williamson. 

Also mentioned in the review’s findings were Warner’s good behaviour since the Cape Town ball-tampering saga, and the impact he can have on younger generations going forward.

Warner retired from international cricket this year, but the decision paves the way for him to hold a formal leadership role with the BBL’s Sydney Thunder this summer.

The panel accepted Warner’s claim that, since that fateful day in Cape Town six-and-a-half years ago, he has changed his “chirpy” behaviour. 

“After the events in 2018 I just started thinking about myself and how I just wanted to be perceived better on the field,” he told the panel.

“I want to be playing hard, but I want to be that person that they want to have a beer with after the game.”

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The 37-year-old said he did not want to leave the game without any friends, “and I could have easily went that way, but I have changed”.

Cummins said he had witnessed a change in Warner since 2018 and, while he was not in any formalised leadership role, the opening batter was undeniably a leader in the team, particularly during tours in Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2022.

“During these tours his upholding of the spirit of cricket and his respect for the opposition as did his understanding of the importance of those tours for the game,” Cummins wrote.

“These higher considerations transcended the matches we played in and were felt by the cricket-loving public in those nations.”

AAP/ABC