Smith and Warner stood down by Aussies

Steve Smith and David Warner have stood down as leaders for the rest of the third test over the ball-tampering bombshell, with Tim Paine now leading Australia in Cape Town.

Captain Smith and vice-captain Warner took the field under Paine’s leadership at Newlands, where the tourists were booed on to the field as day four started last night.

The board of Cricket Australia (CA) is yet to make a decision on what to do with Smith and Warner, who are both under immense pressure to relinquish their leadership posts.

Smith confessed the previous night that Australia’s leadership group authorised premeditated cheating at Newlands, wanting to use sticky tape in an illegal attempt to change the condition of the ball.

“This test match needs to proceed, and in the interim, we will continue to investigate this matter with the urgency that it demands,” CA chief executive James Sutherland said.

Smith is set to be stood down as captain of his Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals. Warner leads Sunrisers Hyderabad and his image has also taken an immense hit.

Smith travelled to the ground on the team bus yesterday then sequestered himself from the team.

Smith’s 10 ashen-faced teammates all warmed up on the morning of day four but their leader was nowhere to be seen.

Smith and Warner are likely to be charged by the International Cricket Council but the prospect of more stern punishments looms large.

“I won’t be considering stepping down. I still think I’m the right person for the job,” Smith told reporters after day three.

Senior members of the side hatched the idea of using tape, which they hoped would capture debris from the pitch and scuff one side of the ball, at lunch on day three.

Cameron Bancroft used the tape while working on the ball in the postlunch session then attempted to hide it from umpires.

Bancroft has been charged with ball tampering by the match referee.

The ugly episode has prompted an outpouring of shock and condemnation, with the Australian Sports Commission leading calls for Smith and “any other members of the team leadership group or coaching staff who had prior awareness” to be stood down.

“I’ve spoken with David Peever, the chairman of Cricket Australia, and I’ve expressed to him very clearly and unequivocally my disappointment and my concern,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said.

CA has dispatched team performance chief Pat Howard and head of integrity Iain Roy to conduct a full investigation of the saga.

“Today was a big mistake,” Smith said. “I take responsibility as the captain. I need to take control of the ship.

“I’m incredibly sorry for trying to bring the game into disrepute. This is certainly something I’m not proud of and something that I can hope to learn from and come back strong from.”

The skipper wouldn’t divulge the other teammates involved in the discussion. The leadership group has featured Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in the past.

Smith insisted coaching staff, including Darren Lehmann, were not aware of the premeditated plan and that his side have never tried using tape to scuff the ball before.

Calling it a “very sad day for Australian cricket”, Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said he was “extremely disappointed and shocked” by the news from the third test on Saturday.

“Australian cricket fans want to be proud of their cricket team,” said Sutherland. “I feel they have every reason to wake up and not be proud of the team.

“One of the unique things about the game of cricket is it is to be played not only within the laws of the game, but in the spirit of the game. And, activities on the field yesterday are neither within the laws of the game or the spirit of the game.”

Sutherland refused to comment on Smith’s long-term position as captain.

“Over the course of the next couple of days, we will get to the bottom of this and we will take appropriate action,” he said.

Former captain Michael Clarke said that if Lehmann wasn’t aware of the plot, the coach must have lost control of the dressing room.

Former test batsman Simon Katich had no doubt what action should be taken — Smith and Lehmann must go.

Katich said he was “sick to his stomach” when he woke up to the news from South Africa.

“They’ve got no option because this was premeditated and calculated at the break, and those guys are in charge of Cameron Bancroft behaving the way he did,” Katich said.

Adam Gilchrist led a chorus of shock and outrage at the news. Veteran spinner Brad Hogg believed Bancroft had been “thrown under the bus” by team leaders and former test vice-captain Gilchrist said he was embarrassed by the revelations.