Australian stand-in captain Steve Smith has spoken out on David Warner's lifetime leadership ban, suggesting it is "fundamentally wrong."
Warner was banned for life from holding a leadership role in Australian cricket after the 2018 Cape Town ball tampering scandal.
Smith himself copped a 12-month leadership ban which only commenced after he returned from a 12-month playing ban, with the captain and vice-captain of the team at time being hit by the heavy-handed suspensions.
Warner was just a few weeks ago aiming to fight for his chance to hold a leadership role in Australian cricket, but ultimately withdrew his appeal.
Smith, speaking after Australia wrapped up a 2-0 win over the West Indies to launch a period where Australia could play as many as 15 Tests in an eight-month window with tours of India and England on the horizon, said the ban was wrong.
"From my point of view, banning for life from leadership is just fundamentally wrong," Smith said.
"David served his time like I did.
"For us, we know he's a leader around the group, and on and off the field he's doing a tremendous job.
"It's been a difficult one for him, it's been a difficult week. David has said he's done and dusted (with the appeal) and get on with it."
Australian Cricketers Association chairman Todd Greenberg has admitted players have been left frustrated over the saga which has dominated headlines during the first half of the Australian summer, and was a key talking point throughout a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign.
It had been thought that the Sydney Thunder were also pushing for Warner to overturn the ban after he signed to play the second half of the BBL season with the men in lime green.
Warner has struggled for runs though, and Smith said it had been a distraction.
"It has been more of a distraction for Davey, no doubt, going through that himself," Smith said.
"He's got our full support. Hopefully he can have a really big series for us against South Africa with the bat."
The three-Test series against South Africa starts on Saturday.
