Warner, Smith banned for 12 months, out of IPL
Cricket Australia also bans Cameron Bancroft for nine months
Disgraced cricketers Steve Smith and David Warner were slapped with a one-year international ban and ousted from this year’s IPL tournament, while Cameron Bancroft was suspended for nine months as Cricket Australia cracked the whip on the errant trio for its role in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
The lengthy bans on the trio effectively rule them out of the November-December series against India. Virat Kohli’s men are scheduled to tour Australia to play four Tests, three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 International (T20I) matches.
In a statement, Cricket Australia announced the sanctions imposed on the three players, who were ordered to leave for home on Tuesday midway through the ongoing Test series against South Africa. The cricketers have seven days to appeal against the bans. All three players will, however, be permitted to play club cricket “to maintain links with the cricket community”.
As per the CA code of conduct, Smith has been found guilty of having knowledge of a potential plan to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball; failure to take steps to seek to prevent the development and implementation of that plan; and directing that evidence of attempted tampering be concealed on the field of play, among other things.
Smith had also been charged for “seeking to mislead match officials and others regarding Bancroft’s attempts to artificially alter the condition of the ball; and misleading public comments regarding the nature, extent and participants of the plan.”
“In addition, all three will be required to undertake 100 hours of voluntary service in community cricket.”
In a double blow for Smith and Warner, the two were barred from this year’s IPL by the Indian cricket board. This came after the CA sanctions and their forced stepping down as captains of Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad, respectively. Bancroft does not play in the IPL.
“They (Cricket Australia) have banned two players and we are also barring these two players from this year’s IPL,” IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla told reporters. “First, we waited for ICC’s decision, after that Cricket Australia and then we decided on the matter. We have decided to bar them from (playing) this season. The replacements will be made available to the two teams. We did not take any decision in haste, it was a well thought out decision.”
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