• Champions Trophy 2013

Warner stood down after Root 'attack'

David Warner was in trouble last month and now faces further punishment © AFP

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David Warner has been stood down from Australia's Champions Trophy match against New Zealand after allegedly being involved in a physical altercation with an England player, reported to be Joe Root.

Warner could yet face further sanction, including the possibility of being sent home from the tour, depending on the outcome of a Code of Behaviour hearing, which Cricket Australia said would be convened as soon as possible.

Although details of the incident have not yet been released, the ECB has confirmed in a statement that an altercation between Warner and an England player took place and said it was "an unprovoked physical attack" initiated by Warner. The ECB said the England player in question was not responsible for the incident and had accepted an apology from Warner.

"Following a statement issued this morning by Cricket Australia, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirms that David Warner initiated an unprovoked physical attack on a member of the England team in a Birmingham bar following England's 48-run victory over Australia," the ECB said in a statement. "Warner has admitted behaving inappropriately and has since apologised to the player involved who has accepted the apology.

"Following a full investigation the England team management has concluded that the England player was in no way responsible for nor retaliated to the attack. ECB has concluded that this is a matter for Cricket Australia and have no further comment to make."

Warner was reported under Cricket Australia's Code of Behaviour and in a statement, Cricket Australia said he had been cited after he "was allegedly involved in a physical altercation with an England player in the early hours of Sunday morning following the ICC Champions Trophy match between the teams in Birmingham".

The incident could have serious ramifications for Warner's Ashes campaign. He has been cited under Rule 6 of the Code of Behaviour, which deals with unbecoming behaviour, and states that: "Players and officials must not at any time engage in behaviour unbecoming to a representative player or official that could (a) bring them or the game of game into disrepute or (b) be harmful to the interests of cricket."

It is the second time in four weeks that Warner has been reported under that section of CA's Code of Behaviour, after he was fined $5750 last month for engaging in a Twitter spat with two Australian journalists. Following that incident, Warner said: "I just want to draw a line under all of this and move forward."

Warner has also been struggling for runs since arriving in England, having made ducks in both the Champions Trophy warm-up games and 9 in the loss to England. His absence from the match against New Zealand in Birmingham on Wednesday will force a change to Australia's top order and could mean a call-up for Glenn Maxwell, as the only backup batsman in the squad.

Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets here

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