Steve Smith and David Warner have been banned from representing their country for a year – with nine months for Cameron Bancroft – after Cricket Australia came down hard on the three players involved in ball-tampering.
The sanctions were announced on Wednesday in a damning statement from the governing body, with Smith also stood down from his captaincy role for a minimum 12-month period. Warner is stripped of his position as deputy and will never again be considered for a leadership role.
Warner has been painted in the worst light, with Cricket Australia stating that the vice-captain was behind the plan, and instructed Bancroft to scuff the ball using sandpaper – not sticky tape, as previously claimed – with additional advice on how to do so during the 322-run third Test defeat to South Africa in Cape Town.
Smith was privy to this but did not prevent it and, along with Bancroft, deliberately misled the on-field umpires when they stepped in. Both players are also noted to have misled the public in their post-play press conference, while Warner is accused of not being truthful with the match referee.
In addition to their national suspension, all three players will be barred from representing their states in the Sheffield Shield during this time and cannot play in the next edition of Australia’s Big Bash League.
Overseas assignments, such as English county cricket and the Indian Premier League, appear to be theoretically permitted. However the latter has now barred Smith and Warner from taking up their respective £1.3m deals with Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad this year.
For more read the full of article at The Guardian
