News Apr 7, 2026

Warner Charged with Drink Driving in Sydney

Warner Charged with Drink Driving in Sydney

Former Australia opener David Warner was arrested in Sydney on Sunday on a charge of drink driving after failing a breathalyser test.

According to AAP, Warner, 39, was over twice the legal limit to be able to drive when he was stopped for a random test by police. He was arrested and taken to Maroubra Police Station.

Background

Warner, who is currently participating in the Pakistan Super League, was granted permission to return to Australia for personal reasons for a week during a gap in the schedule for the Karachi Kings franchise, which he is captain of.

The Kings last played on April 2, with Warner scoring a half-century during a win over Rawalpindiz. The Kings’ next game is on April 9.

ESPNcricinfo understands the arrest does not impede his plans to return to Pakistan as scheduled, and is expected to be available for that game. It will be the Kings’ first match at their home venue in Karachi, with Warner’s side the only team to boast a perfect record at the PSL this year, having won all three matches.

Recent Career Highlights

Warner’s stint at the PSL comes off the back of a record-breaking season in the BBL, where he averaged 86.6 for the Sydney Thunder and was named captain of the official team of the tournament.

Cricket New South Wales, which runs Thunder, and Transport for NSW have maintained a 23-year partnership, which culminated in the Road Safety Cup. The annual contest, which began in 2023, pits Thunder and Brisbane Heat against each other while shining a spotlight on road safety.

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Response from Cricket NSW

“Cricket NSW is a strong advocate of safe driving, including avoiding drink driving, and takes incidents of this nature very seriously,” Lee Germon, the NSW CEO said in a statement on Wednesday.

“David is aware of the seriousness of these allegations. We will support him through the upcoming process and work together on further educating him and all players on the importance of safe driving.”

Warner is due to appear in court on May 7 in Sydney. The timing means it should not affect his availability for the remainder of the PSL, with the tournament final on 3 May in Lahore.

The Kings declined to make official comment on the matter when approached by ESPNcricinfo.

Julian Anand

Julian Anand is a senior cricket writer at ESPNcricinfo, known for his lyrical prose and deep-dive longform features on the sport’s unsung heroes. An alumnus of St. Stephen's College, he began his career covering Delhi’s club and university circuits before joining the global cricket desk. Julian has a rare ability to humanise the game—whether chronicling a young pacer from the Maidan or revisiting a forgotten Test classic. He is especially respected for his technical breakdowns of fast bowling and his archival research into cricket history. His work has been recognised with the SJA British Sports Journalism Award and multiple internal honours at Cricinfo. When not at the press box, Julian mentors young sports writers and plays occasional league cricket as a medium-pacer.