Following the ball-tampering controversy, Australian batsman David Warner has been banned from international cricket for one year. He has also been forbidden to take any leadership role in the national team ever. This decision has been taken by Cricket Australia after charges of Warner’s involvement in the ‘leadership group’, which hatched the plan to change the condition of the ball, have been proven.
At 31 years of age, Warner was expected to have the best years of his batting career ahead of him but the recent fiasco has raised question marks on his cricketing career. The reports coming out in the media have painted a very grim picture of the former vice-captain and the untoward reaction of his compatriots is also very telling.
Amid flaring emotions, many have even speculated that Warner has already played his last international match. Read on to know why the following three players including Warner may never play for their country again.
#3 Jesse Ryder
When Jesse Ryder made his debut against England in 2008, it looked as if New Zealand had found a lasting opener. The left-hander soon made a reputation for himself not only as an aggressive player on the field but also a ‘wild-boy’ image off the field. Gradually, Ryder cemented his spot across all formats in the New Zealand team.
However, it was in 2013 that Ryder suffered a huge setback which threatened not only his cricketing career but his life as well. After being brutally assaulted outside a bar, the New Zealand opener underwent a 56-hour medically-induced coma while jostling his way through a fractured skull and a collapsed lung.
Ryder recovered from the horrible state only to be banished from the New Zealand cricket set-up a year later, on account of a late-night drinking session on the eve of a Test match against India.
The southpaw showed a glimpse of his past glory when he blasted 109 runs for Central District in a domestic match last year but has not been able to put up consistent performances since. Moreover, with the rise of players like Tom Latham, Colin Munro and Jeet Raval, it is highly unlikely that Ryder would be successful in making a comeback to the national team.
#2 Darren Sammy
Darren Sammy is in the same league as Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, and Andre Russell, who have chosen to be T20 freelancers rather than being international cricketers. The reasons for their move is the cash crunch in the Windies cricket board and the clause that makes it mandatory for the Caribbean players to feature in domestic competitions.
The last time Darren Sammy took the field for his country was in the 2016 T20 World Cup Finals against England. Despite having led his team to the title victory, he was later dropped from the side.
Last year, the Saint Lucian cricketer played in the Independence Cup for the World XI against Pakistan. The fact that he recently captained Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League instead of being a part of the West Indian team in the Mini World Cup, tells us that Sammy's international career has come to an end in all likelihood.
#1 David Warner
Having played 74 Tests and 106 ODIs for Australia, David Warner has made his future very troublesome for himself after plotting to tamper with the ball. He has already been banned from international cricket for one year but what makes matters worse is the outrage of his fellow teammates against him.
"I would have a feeling that beyond any ban, he (Warner) may never play for Australia again out of all this, because he's so much on the nose with the players and probably the public as well," says Australian commentator Jim Maxwell.
If reports are to be believed, the Aussie players are so upset with the 31-year-old that they have requested the management to remove Warner from their hotel. In addition to all this, many sponsors are also snapping ties with the tainted cricketer. The left-hander is on bad terms with Cricket Australia officials which would make it very hard for him to stage a comeback once his ban is lifted.
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