David Warner's Sydney Thunder captaincy on thin ice after drink driving charge

The CEO of Cricket NSW has stopped short of confirming whether David Warner would retain the Sydney Thunder captaincy after he was charged with drink driving this month.

CEO Lee Germon also said the governing body was "very prepared" to show leadership and noted its partnership with Transport for NSW, through which it promotes road safety.

Warner was charged after allegedly returning a blood alcohol reading of 0.104, which is more than twice the legal limit.

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The former Test opener was alleged to have been drink driving in Maroubra on Easter Sunday and will face court on May 7.

"I can't say too much because of the legal side of it," Germon told media in Sydney on Wednesday.

"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."

Prodded on Warner's future as Thunder 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 owns the Thunder and has a long-term partnership with Transport for NSW.

The Thunder and Brisbane Heat play for the Road Safety Cup each season.

"We're working really closely [with Transport for NSW]," 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."

Cricket Australia imposed a lifetime leadership ban on Warner for his role in the 2018 ball-tampering saga in South Africa, but the governing body overturned it in October 2024 and he was appointed Thunder captain the following month.

Warner was allegedly caught drink driving during a brief return to Australia from Pakistan Super League commitments with the Karachi Kings.

He retained the Karachi captaincy for a game on April 9, but was dismissed for a golden duck and is now dealing with a back injury.