David Warner charged with drink driving

Published - 07 Apr 2026, 17:02 IST | Updated - 07 Apr 2026, 17:07 IST

Former Australian cricketer David Warner has been charged with a drink driving offence in Sydney.

Warner, who is currently leading the Karachi Kings in the 2026 Pakistan Super League, has been relieved of his duties and permitted to return home due to the seven-day gap between their games. The Kings played last on April 2, and their next fixture is on April 9.

During this period, Warner, who had returned home to Sydney, was pulled over by local police in the city on the evening of April 5. He was subjected to a breath test for alcohol consumption, which yielded a positive result.

The legal limit for the breath test in Australia is 0.05, and Warner clocked in a 0.104 reading when the test was taken on him. He was then arrested and taken to the Marourba Police Station, and has been charged to appear in court in May.

“About 5:30pm today (Sunday 5 April 2026), police were conducting stationary random breath testing on Malabar Road, Maroubra,” the police statement read.

“A van was seen to allegedly stop short of the testing site and park. Officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command approached the vehicle and subjected the driver – a 39-year-old man – to roadside testing which returned a positive result.

“He was arrested and taken to Maroubra Police Station where a second test allegedly returned a reading of 0.104. The man was issued with a Field Court Attendance Notice for drive with middle-range PCA to appear before the Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday 7 May 2026.”

Meanwhile, before the break, Warner’s Karachi Kings were one of the in-form teams in the PSL. Having played three games, they have won all of them, with Warner getting runs with the bat. Against new franchise Rawalpindiz, Warner scored 50 off 36 balls as the Kings chased down 198, with Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan making 74 off just 34 balls.

Warner, who is one of Australia’s most decorated players, has represented the country in over 350 games in all formats. He is a prolific batter, scoring over 18,000 runs with 49 centuries in an international career that has spanned around 15 years. His last appearance came in the Third Test against Pakistan in January 2024, at the SCG, his home ground.

He is also the most prolific overseas batter in the IPL, with 6,565 runs across 16 seasons. He led the Sunrisers Hyderabad to the title in 2016, scoring 848 runs at an average of 60.57 and a strike rate of 151.42.

The Karachi Kings play their next match against the Peshawar Zalmi on April 9.