TOP 10 Life Ban Cricketers Over Ball-tampering Row

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Steve Smith, David Warner May Face Life Ban Over Ball-tampering Row: Report


Canberra, Mar 26: The Cricket Australia (CA) may impose a lifetime ban on Steve Smith and David Warner for their role in the ball-tampering row. Steve Smith and David Warner have stepped down as Australia captain and vice-captain respectively following the ball-tampering controversy. Smith, Warner, and Cameron Bancroft are accused of tampering with the ball during the third Test against South Africa.

Steve Smith and David Warner could face life ban if the maximum penalty is applied under Cricket Australia’s code of behaviour. Australian cricket board’s Head of Integrity Iain Roy and team performance manager Pat Howard will interview the accused players and coach Darren Lehmann and recommend charges following which an independent commissioner will hold a hearing and decide the quantum of punishment, reported ESPNCricinfo.

The maximum penalty available to the code of conduct commissioner is a life ban. Cameron Bancroft was caught on cameras using what is believed to be a tape before attempting to hide the object down the front of his trousers, moments before the umpires seemingly inquired about the contents of his pockets on the third day of the Cape Town Test on Saturday. Television footage later showed Bancroft rubbing the ball and then seemingly putting an object back in his pocket.

The umpires inspected the ball at that time and elected not to replace the ball and award a five-run penalty as they could not see any marks on the ball that suggested that its condition had been changed as a direct result of Bancroft’s actions. Smith and Bancroft admitted to the offence after the day’s play, and Bancroft was charged by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for altering the condition of the ball.

On Sunday, the ICC slapped Smith with a one-match suspension and fined him entire match fee. Additionally, Bancroft has been fined 75 per cent of his match fee and handed three demerit points for breaching Level 2 of the ICC code of conduct. (With agency inputs)

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Steve Smith Steps Down as Rajasthan Royals Skipper, Ajinkya Rahane Replaces Him

Ajinkya Rahane (Getty)

New Delhi, Mar 26: Steve Smith, the disgraced Australian team captain, has stepped down as the captain of the Rajasthan Royals outfit in Indian Premier League (IPL). Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane will replace him as the skipper.

Smith and his deputy David Warner stepped down from the post of captain and vice-captain respectively after the former admitted that the incident of ball-tempering during the third test against South Africa occurred at the behest of the “leadership group”.

The International Cricket Council handed him a one-match suspension as a penalty for the grave breach of ethics, an action, experts say, was not proportional to the gravity of the offence. Smith would also lose hundred percent match fee.

The incident occurred on day 3 of the third Test match when Smith’s teammate Bancroft was captured on camera rubbing the ball with a yellow article. When the umpires asked him, he showed his empty pockets. The camera further showed the player keeping the yellow article in his trousers. Later in the day, both Smith and Bancroft admitted to the charges of ball tampering. Smith said the leadership group was aware of the decision to tamper with the ball.

Smith and Warner later stepped down from their posts. “Following discussions with Steve Smith and David Warner, they have agreed to stand down as Captain and Vice-Captain respectively for the remainder of this Test match,” Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland said in an official statement.

The statement further read, “This Test match needs to proceed, and in the interim, we will continue to investigate this matter with the urgency that it demands.”

Wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Paine was made the interim captain.
Meanwhile, several noted cricketers have disapproved ICC’s soft action against Smith.

“A little birdie tells me that the weak ICC punishment isn’t anywhere near what Cricket Australia is thinking…..” Kevin Pietersen tweeted.
“wow @ICC wow. Great treatment nd FairPlay. No ban for Bancroft with all the evidences whereas 6 of us were banned for excessive appealing in South Africa 2001 without any evidence and Remember Sydney 2008? Not found guilty and banned for 3 matches.different people different rules,” Harbhajan Singh wrote on Twitter.