IT WAS SANDPAPER

SMITH, WARNER BANNED: See you in 12 months TASSIE TIGER: NANKERVIS HUNGRY FOR MORE RICHMOND GLORY

CRICKET Australia has fingered banned vice-captain David Warner as the architect of a plan to cheat, alleging he advised Cameron Bancroft how to alter the ball with sandpaper in Cape Town.

CA has charged Warner, Bancroft and Steve Smith over the balltampering scandal, with a series of sanctions headlined by long bans. The trio have been booked for conduct that is “contrary to the spirit of the game”, “unbecoming of a representative or official”, “is or could be harmful to the interests of cricket”, and/or “did bring the game of cricket into disrepute”.

Warner and Smith have been given 12-month suspensions.

Bancroft has been rubbed out for nine months. Players have seven days to consider the charges. It’s understood Warner, who is unlikely to ever play for Australia again as his stunning fall from grace continues apace, is the only player considering the merits of challenging his charge.

CA has made it abundantly clear who it believes was most culpable and deceptive in the shameful saga that has triggered nationwide outrage, with fresh waves of anger expected when the public learn players lied about what Bancroft stuffed down his pants.

CA alleges Warner was solely responsible for the “development of a plan to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball”, instructing “a junior player to carry out a plan”, and providing “advice to a junior player regarding how a ball could be artificially altered, including demonstrating how it could be done”.

CA also claims Warner failed to “voluntarily report his knowledge of the plan after the match”, whereas Smith and Bancroft came clean.

CA chief James Sutherland also said the investigation had concluded that coach Darren Lehmann had simply asked “what the hell is going on out there” over the walkie-talkie after Bancroft was caught on camera using the sandpaper.

There had been suggestions Lehmann had used the walkietalkie to tell 12th man Peter Handscomb to go out on the field and warn Bancroft. INDIA’S cricket authorities have barred Smith, Warner and Bancroft from this season’s IPL after they were suspended. IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla says Indian officials have extended their current ban to include the lucrative Twenty20 league.