Sports

Ex-Australia Cricketer David Warner Pleads Guilty to Drink Driving

Does this put Warner's captaincy in real jeopardy or is it just the latest chapter in a long pattern of controversy?

Published JUL 22

Ex-Australia Cricketer David Warner Pleads Guilty to Drink Driving

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Above: David Warner of Australia during the ICC Cricket World Cup at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on July 6, 2019. Image credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images

The Facts

Former Australian cricketer David Warner pleaded guilty to a drink-driving offense on Wednesday.
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ESPNcricinfo
Warner, 39, was not required to appear before Waverley Local Court in Sydney and the admission was made by his lawyer, Bobby Hill. "The parties are in discussion about the facts," Hill said.
Independent
Open Magazine
Hill had signaled a guilty plea when the case for the Easter Sunday offense was first heard in May. "He knows what he did was wrong," he said. "He accepts that was a reckless decision, a foolish decision to get in his car instead of taking an Uber."
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ESPNcricinfo
The lawyer said Warner drank three glasses of wine at a friend's home before deciding to drive on April 5, and 11 minutes later, was pulled over by police for a roadside test.
Independent
ESPNcricinfo
Having returned a positive result for alcohol, Warner was taken to the Maroubra police station where he undertook a second test and recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.104 — more than twice the legal limit.
Independent
ESPNcricinfo
Sentencing has been scheduled for August 18. Warner faces a minimum disqualification from driving of six months, a potential fine of up to A$2,200 ($1,500) and a possible prison sentence of up to nine months.
BBC News
Independent

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

The guilty plea to this offense puts Warner's captaincy of the Sydney Thunder in serious jeopardy — especially as the team is part of a state government campaign to deter drink driving.

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ESPNcricinfo

Narrative B

This is the latest high-profile controversy for Australia's former opening batsman. In 2018, he was banned from cricket for 12 months after he was found to have masterminded the ball-tampering scandal. In 2013, he was suspended after punching English cricketer Joe Root in Birmingham.