ACA calls for reduction of ‘disproportionate’ sanctions on trio
Sydney, Australia - The Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) has asked Cricket Australia (CA) to consider reducing the "disproportionate" sanctions on Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, the three players involved in the plan to tamper with the ball during the Cape Town Test.
Smith and Warner were banned from international and domestic cricket for 12 months, while Bancroft was banned for nine. Warner was also banned from holding leadership positions in Australian cricket for life, while Smith and Bancroft were banned from leadership positions for another 12 months after the end of their bans.
"The proposed penalties are disproportionate relative to precedent," ACA president Greg Dyer said in Sydney on Tuesday.
"We ask that consideration be given to recalibrating the proposed sanctions, to consider options such as suspending or reducing part of the sanction. To consider allowing the players to return to domestic cricket earlier, for example, as part of their rehabilitation.
"We believe [the bans] are disproportionate. We've pointed out the fact that incidents of this similar type have occurred previously, the sanctions are vastly less than what's been suggested here. There's a need to reconcile between the two, there's a need to understand that disproportionality and to move forward. We're in ongoing conversations with Cricket Australia through this process."
The players have until Thursday to decide whether to appeal the penalties imposed by CA or not. "The ACA is working strongly with the players," Dyer said.
Smith, Bancroft and Warner held press conferences after returning to Australia, where they expressed remorse for ball-tampering. Dyer said their "extraordinary contrition" should be taken into account by CA.
"The contrition shown by these men is extraordinary. We ask for this extraordinary contrition to be taken into account by Cricket Australia just as it would be in any fair or proper process. We expect this contrition to be taken into account."