Warner and Smith lose £1.3m deals
New Zealand provide a “model for the game”.
It was yet another tumultuous day for Australian cricket with the result of the internal investigation into the ball-tampering scandal and the players’ punishments laid out in public.
The findings were damning and made it quite clear that Warner was the architect of the plot, having encouraged Bancroft to take a strip of sandpaper on to the field to tamper with the ball during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town, and even showed him how to do it. Both did so with the full knowledge of captain Smith, according to the report, and all three were also deemed guilty of lying both in private and public in an attempt to cover up their actions, claiming they had used sticky tape, rather than sandpaper. Smith was barred from captaincy for two years while Warner will not be considered for a leadership position again. However, both will be free to play a part in next year’s World Cup in England and Wales as well as the Ashes that follows.
Both Smith and Warner felt the financial draught almost immediately, after they were ditched by their Indian Premier League franchises Rajasthan and Hyderabad respectively on instruction from the Indian cricket board yesterday – a hit which will cost them their £1.3 million deals.
Smith and Warner, who it is understood will still pick up their central contract money with Cricket Australia, will, however, miss out on about £220,000 in match fees.
Warner has lost a personal sponsorship with LG Australia after the company decided not to renew their contract, while Smith’s endorsement as the face of Weet-Bix in Australia remains “under review”.
The pair are free to play county cricket in England this year should they wish, although that seems unlikely. Cricket Australia said in their verdict that both men would be encouraged to play Grade cricket, effectively one level below the Sheffield Shield state competition, as well as perform 100 hours of cricket community service. Bancroft was set to play for Somerset this summer but the county and the ECB were last night awaiting clarification from Cricket Australia as to whether he will be able to honour the contract.
Lehmann has a huge task to turn things around, starting with the fourth and final Test in Johannesburg tomorrow. He has survived after his words on the walkietalkie to 12th man Peter Handscomb when TV pictures exposed Bancroft with the sandpaper. According to yesterday’s verdict, Lehmann did not attempt to warn Bancroft he had been rumbled but instead said: “What the f*** is going on?”
THE ECB have commissioned an external review into the £2.5 million they paid Glamorgan for not applying to host Tests between 2020 and 2024.