David Warner pleads guilty to drink-driving charge; Sydney Thunder captaincy under cloud

MELBOURNE: Former Australian cricketer David Warner’s position as Sydney Thunder captain has come under scrutiny after he pleaded guilty to a drunk driving offence, according to ESPNcricinfo.

The former Australia opener did not appear before Waverley local court on Wednesday, where his lawyer, Bobby Hill, admitting the charge on Warner’s behalf to a mid-range drunk driving charge stemming from an incident on Easter Sunday, the report added.

Warner was stopped by police in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on April 5 and recorded a positive alcohol reading during a roadside breath test. He was subsequently taken to Maroubra Police Station for further testing, where his blood alcohol concentration measured 0.104 — more than twice the legal limit.

“The parties are in discussion about the facts,” Hill said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. Hill previously foreshadowed a guilty plea when the matter was first mentioned in May. “He knows what he did was wrong,” he said at the time. “He accepts that was a reckless decision, a foolish decision to get in his car instead of taking an Uber.”

BREAKING: David Warner has admitted to a drunk-driving charge from April this year.

The incident could put his Sydney Thunder captaincy in doubt.@cricbuzz pic.twitter.com/3hLkcuG783

— TheWicketReport (@WicketReport) July 22, 2026

Warner had enjoyed three glasses of wine at a friend’s apartment before making that decision, Hill said. “It’s not a crime to have a glass of wine on the day of the Lord’s resurrection. In fact, some would consider that completely appropriate,” he told reporters, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. “His crime is, as I said, choosing a foolish plan A instead of a plan B.”

Sydney Thunder, along with the Sydney Sixers and the New South Wales Blues, are part of a New South Wales government initiative aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of drink-driving, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Warner was arrested after returning from the Indian subcontinent, where he had captained the Karachi Kings during the Pakistan Super League, while travelling home over the Easter period.

The 39-year-old had previously been handed a lifetime ban from holding leadership roles following his involvement in Australia’s 2018 ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. However, the sanction was lifted in 2024, paving the way for Warner to be appointed captain of the Sydney Thunder soon afterwards. (ANI)