The International Cricket Council may have taken a softer stand by suspending Australian cricket captain Steven Smith and his deputy David Warner just for one match, the captain- vice caption duo's career may come to a standstill as they face anything up to life ban for cheating under Cricket Australia's (CA) code of behaviour.
According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, the Australian board is determined to take a much stronger action against the team 'leadership'-- Steven Smith, David Warner-- and the player caught while tampering with ball on camera- Cameron Bancroft. CA’s head of integrity unit, Iain Roy, and team performance manager Pat Howard have travelled to Cape Town to begin an investigation, the report added.
Steven Smith on Sunday had stepped down as Australian captain for of the remainder of the third Test in Cape Town hours after the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), which comes under the Australian government, asked the cricket board to remove him "immediately". Australia's 322-run defeat to South Africa on Sunday evening maye be the heaviest since the readmission.
Tim Paine will take charge for the remainder of the Test.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals made it clear they will not tolerate any unfair action that brings disrepute to the game and said the franchise would wait for instructions from BCCI before taking a call on Steve Smith, who was today handed a one-match ban by ICC for his role in a ball tempering scandal.
"Australia captain Steve Smith handed a one-match suspension and fined 100% of his match fee following his admission yesterday that he was party to a decision to attempt to change the condition of the ball in order to gain an unfair advantage during 3 day’s play against South Africa," the ICC said in a statement on Sunday.
Australia opener Cameron Bancroft has been fined 75 per cent of his match fee and handed three demerit points for breaching Level 2 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the third day’s play against South Africa.
‘Blatant cheating’
There was widespread disbelief and anger in Australia as the news hit the headlines on Sunday morning, when people saw the live footage of Bancroft picking out a sand paper from his pocket to tamper the ball.
Smith's predecessor Michael Clarke said that he was feeling "pretty emotional".
"I can't believe if the leadership group has made a decision to do this, that they have gone and got the young kid (Bancroft) who is playing his eighth test match to do that," Clarke told broadcaster Channel Nine.
Clarke said he felt sorry for Smith, but added that the tampering was "blatant cheating". "It is disgraceful. It is not accepted by anyone. Particularly in Australia. We've got the best bowling attack in the world. We don't need to cheat to beat anybody."
Players' body the Australian Cricketers Association said in a statement Sunday that "it seems serious errors of judgement have been committed".
"It is right for match officials and Cricket Australia to investigate the full extent of what has transpired. Cricket is a sport synonymous with the highest standards of behaviour," the statement said.
With Agency Inputs
