Cricket Australia says board considering lifting bans

Players’ union want suspension for Smith, Warner and Bancroft lifted immediately

Cricket Australia (CA) is considering a demand by the players’ union that ball-tampering bans on former captain Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft be lifted immediately, the governing body’s CEO Kevin Roberts said yesterday. CA has come under pressure from the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) to end the bans following the release of the Longstaff review, which laid some of the blame for the scandal at the door of the board.

“The ACA submission around the players’ sanctions was received by the board a few days ago,” Roberts told reporters. Smith and Warner were each suspended for 12 months.