David Warner was completely villainized, says opener’s manager James Erskine as he slams Cricket Australia

David Warner’s manager James Erskine has hit out at Cricket Australia after the star batter decided to withdraw his application to have his lifetime captaincy ban reviewed.

Warner was handed the punishment for his role in the 2018 Papergate-scandal but was hoping to get it lifted. However, on Wednesday in a lengthy post on Instagram, the opener said that he was withdrawing his application as the panel wanted to have a public hearing and he didn’t want to make his family go through the ordeal again.

Warner’s manager Erskine said, as quoted by Fox News, that the 36-year-old was fed up with the process and also revealed the trauma that his family had to go through.

He went on to say that Warner was completely villainized for his involvement in the scandal.

“I think he’s fed up with the process, the trauma (from) that the original decision in South Africa, to his family and Candice (Warner’s wife), she lost a baby because of it,”

“I think it’s odd, I don’t quite understand the process myself… of course, they (Cricket Australia) want this open court on the appeal.”

“When you get banned for life with no appeal, I don’t think that can be legal, you can murder 25 people and get an appeal, and go have a second trial.

“The Prime Minister came out (at the time), (Malcolm) Turnbull came out and said this is a disgrace and whatever, I think he regrets those comments now, Cricket Australia had the whole process, the (Iain) Roy report was done in four days.”

“You’d have to be a blind black Labrador, there was far more than three people involved in this thing, they all got a canning and David Warner was completely villainized.”

Erskine further lashed out at Cricket Australia and said that Warner was protecting them and his fellow players.

“He has shut up, he protected Cricket Australia, he protected his fellow players on my advice, because at the end of the day no one wanted to hear any more of it and he’s got on playing cricket,” said Erskine.

“Why Cricket Australia couldn’t have done a very sensible thing and said listen, it’s not legal that someone doesn’t have a right of appeal.”

“It’s just absurd, why should he have to go through that, he has done everything he possibly could for Cricket Australia and for his team, and now he’s being treated like this… this is injustice at its greatest level.”

Cricket Australia had issued a statement after Warner’s announced his decision and said that they respected his choice.