Smith faces exile for role in tampering
AUSTRALIAN captain Steve Smith was last night fighting for his cricket career as he stood down from his position on a disastrous day for cricket after cheating admissions plunged the sport into crisis.
Smith and vice-captain David Warner took the decision to remove themselves from their roles after a fiery day of condemnation, a flurry of calls for the captain to be sacked and conversations with Cricket Australia officials.
The pair, along with coach Darren Lehmann, could all be dumped full-time as soon as tomorrow after CA launched an investigation into the balltampering incident, which even elicited condemnation from the Prime Minister.
Having failed to talk to Smith in the immediate aftermath of the revelations, CA boss James Sutherland reached out to the captain before play and it was decided both he and Warner should stand down, for this match, in the interests of the game.
Wicketkeeper Tim Paine was elevated to the top job while Smith and Warner were forced to take the field in Cape Town and play out the Test.
As the fallout from the scandal continued, former players called for Smith to be sacked after he admitted telling teammate Cameron Bancroft to tamper with the ball during day three of the match.
Malcolm Turnbull called it “a shocking disappointment” and made his position clear in a call to CA chairman David Peever that decisive action was needed.
“How can our team be engaged in cheating like this? It beggars belief,” Mr Turnbull said. “It’s wrong and I look forward to Cricket Australia taking decisive action soon.”
A distraught Mr Sutherland called it a “sad day for cricket”.
He dispatched CA’s head of integrity, Iain Roy, and highperformance manager Pat Howard to South Africa to investigate the actions of the Australian skipper and the team leadership, including coach Darren Lehmann.
Despite video evidence catching Bancroft with a yellow piece of tape in his hand, which he used to pick up debris from the pitch and then rub on the ball, plus Smith’s admission he came up with the plan, Mr Sutherland refused to impose immediate sanctions, which was within his power.
He contacted Australian team manager Gavin Dovey after he was made aware of the incident early yesterday.
Instead, Mr Sutherland, amid a public outcry for Smith to be sacked and similar calls from former players including Adam Gilchrist and Simon Katich, said CA would not move until the investigation was completed.
That should be done as soon as tomorrow morning.