David Warner’s position as Sydney Thunder captain is in jeopardy after he was charged with drink-driving earlier this month.
Cricket NSW boss Lee Germon said the organisation was “very prepared” to show strong leadership as it works through the fallout from Warner’s alleged offence on Easter Sunday.
Warner is alleged to have returned a positive roadside breath test in Maroubra on April 5, before later recording a blood alcohol reading of 0.104 – more than twice the legal limit. He is due to face court next month.
The incident has raised questions about Warner’s leadership of the Sydney Thunder after his lifetime captaincy ban – imposed for his role in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in South Africa – was lifted by Cricket Australia in October 2024. Warner was appointed Thunder skipper the following month.
Germon stopped short of confirming whether Warner would retain the role but made clear the matter was under consideration.
“I can’t say too much because of the legal side of it,” Germon told reporters on Wednesday at the opening of stage two of Cricket Central in Sydney. “The allegations, of course, are concerning and we take them very seriously.
“At Cricket NSW, we are strong advocates for safe driving, not drink-driving. We educate our players a lot in that area and we will support David through this process, knowing there’s a court case coming up, but also looking to educate our players even more on this.”
Pressed on Warner’s future as captain, Germon said a decision would be made in due course.
“That will be worked through and remains to be seen,” Germon said. “At the moment, they are allegations, and the Sydney Thunder captaincy will be worked through in due course.”
Cricket NSW, which owns the Thunder, has a long-standing partnership with Transport for NSW focused on promoting road safety. The Thunder and Brisbane Heat play for the “Road Safety Cup” each season.
Germon said the governing body had already engaged with the government agency and was conscious of its responsibilities.
“We’re working really closely [with them],” Germon said. “Transport [for NSW] have been a long-term sponsor … they’re a really important partner of ours.
“We’re talking with them about this, knowing that they’ll be looking to us to take leadership on this particular issue and matter, and we are very prepared to do so. It’s an important partnership for us, and one that we want to keep going.”
Warner’s alleged offence occurred in Sydney during a brief return home from Pakistan Super League duties with the Karachi Kings.
He retained the Karachi captaincy for a match on April 9, but fell for a golden duck and is now managing a back injury.
Tom Decent is the chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.