Emily Smith offered internship with union as WBBL player serves corruption ban
Banned Women’s Big Bash player Emily Smith will complete a paid internship with the Australian Cricketers’ Association as the organisation considers their next move regarding her suspension.
The association met on Tuesday night to discuss the Hobart Hurricanes’ wicketkeeper’s 12-month ban, of which nine months is suspended, for posting team information on social media.
They were reticent after the meeting regarding their next move, as they consider how to best treat the situation. In the meantime, Smith will be offered a paid internship to keep her close to the sport, with roles including event management, program service delivery and forging links with past players.
Smith’s controversial suspension is considered “heavy handed” by the association, who argue Cricket Australia should have imposed a fully suspended sentence.
The 24-year-old found herself in strife earlier this month after she posted a battling line-up written on a whiteboard to Instagram an hour before the team was to be released.
The match was eventually washed out and Smith said the post was designed as a joke to illustrate that she was again batting below a teammate. However, the post contravened anticorruption rules, which do not allow players to disclose inside information to journalists or on social media websites.
The WBBL is a popular option for overseas betting markets, hence the concern about Smith’s post. She accepted the sanction when it was imposed but the players’ association could push for it to be reconsidered by Cricket Australia.
The Hurricanes were also fined $10,000 because she should not have had access to her mobile phone when she made the post.