Six years after the ball-tampering scandal at Newlands, former Australian batsman David Warner has been named captain of the Big Bash League (BBL) side Sydney Thunder.

Warner’s lifetime ban from playing a leadership role in Australian cricket over his role in “Sandpaper-gate” was lifted last month by Cricket Australia (CA).

“Being captain of the Thunder again this season means a lot to me,” Warner, who was the team’s founding captain, said in a statement Wednesday.

Six years after the ball-tampering scandal at Newlands, former Australian batsman David Warner has been named captain of the Big Bash League (BBL) side Sydney Thunder.

Warner’s lifetime ban from playing a leadership role in Australian cricket over his role in “Sandpaper-gate” was lifted last month by Cricket Australia (CA).

“Being captain of the Thunder again this season means a lot to me,” Warner, who was the team’s founding captain, said in a statement Wednesday.

Warner, along with former Australia captain Steve Smith, was banned from elite cricket for a year, while opening batsman Cameron Bancroft was suspended for nine months.

Thunder general manager Trent Copeland had telegraphed Warner’s appointment as captain following the ban’s overturning.

On Wednesday, he said Warner’s appointment was huge for the club and the player.

“(It’s) not just about winning, it’s about preparing our young players for success, surrounding them with leadership on and off the field,” he said.

“It’s not just about his career; it’s also about the legacy he creates, especially for his family and the next generation of players.”