Players appeal likely

THE prospect of a judicial stoush over the bans meted out by Cricket Australia (CA) in response to the cheating scandal looms large, with the players’ union highly critical about the process and punishments.

Steve Smith and David Warner have both been banned for 12 months by CA, which has also stripped the captain and vice-captain of their leadership positions. Cameron Bancroft, who CA claim carried out an illegal plan to scuff the ball with sandpaper after being instructed and advised by Warner, was give a nine-month suspension.

Smith, Warner and Bancroft have seven days to respond to the charges. They can contest either the charge and/or sanctions at a hearing. None of the three players has formally accepted the charges at this point. Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) chief executive Alistair Nicholson has been on deck in both Cape Town and Johannesburg during recent days, advising and supporting the disgraced trio.

“There are a number of glaring and clear anomalies in the process to date which causes the ACA to query the severity and proportionality of the proposed sanctions,” the ACA said in a statement yesterday.

Warner in particular is understood to be strongly considering the merits of a challenge, having been accused of being the architect of the ball-tampering ploy that plunged CA into crisis mode on Saturday.

The ACA, which rowed with CA during an ugly pay dispute last year, listed a series of concerns in its statement.