Ball-Tampering Row: Australian Cricketers' Association Criticises Bans On Steve Smith, David Warner

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The Australian Cricketers' Association has raised points which they say were anomalies in the decision.

 

The Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) on Thursday challenged the severity of the sanctions on former Australia captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner for their involvement in the ball-tampering scandal that has rocked the whole of cricketing fraternity. The ACA, in a release, mentioned that cricket must always demonstrate standards and behaviours consistent with both the rules and the spirit of the game. Condemning the quantum of sentence for the cricketers, it further added that there are a number of glaring and clear anomalies in the process that has caused them to look into the severity and proportionality of the proposed sanctions.

Following are the anomalies that the ACA found:

1. The grading and sanctions proposed are considerably higher than the ICC's grading and sanctions.

2. The disproportionality (sic) between the proposed sanctions and those previously handed down in world cricket for 'changing the condition of the ball' - including by Captains of international teams applying artificial substances.

3. The activation of CA's Board as a deliberative body on the proposed sanctions.

4. That public statements by CA to date have not referenced consideration of contextual factors including the environment in South Africa during the series and the impacts on individual players.

5. The rush to place players before the world's media last Saturday night without the benefit of considered and coherent advice.

"The ACA has also called for the proposed cultural review to be fully independent and to consider all relevant factors and context surrounding these acts. The examination must also extend to CA's response and process following Saturday's events," an ACA press release stated.

"The ACA continues to provide welfare and legal support to all players. This welfare support will be critical at a time where the network and environment of each of the three players must play an active role in their rehabilitation," the press release further added.

"All Australians would understand the right of the players to receive advice from their advisers, peers and family and the time necessary to ensure the sanctions are fair and proportional," the release said.

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Ball-Tampering Scandal: "Will Regret This All My Life," Says Steve Smith

Updated: 29 March 2018 15:28 IST

Australian captain Steve Smith on Thursday said he takes the full responsibility of the ball-tampering scandal

Distraught Australian cricketer Steve Smith accepted full responsibility for a ball-tampering scandal that has shaken the sport, saying he was devastated by his "big mistake". While addressing the media in Sydney, Smith said: "I take full responsibility ... There was a failure of leadership, of my leadership. I'll do everything I can to make up for my mistake and the damage it's caused." Smith along with David Warner and the young opener Cameron Bancroft were handed bans by Cricket Australia over a ball-tampering scandal that has left their careers in tatters.

"If any good can come of this, if there can be a lesson to others then I hope I can be a force for change. I know I'll regret this for the rest of my life. I'm absolutely gutted. I hope in time I can earn back respect and forgiveness," Smith said.

"Cricket is the greatest sport in the world. It's been my life and I hope it can be again. I'm and I'm absolutely devastated," a devastated Smith said.

"I don't blame anyone. I'm the captain of the Australian team. It's on my watch and I take responsibility for what happened last Saturday," he said.

Smith broke down during the conference and said: "I'm deeply sorry. I love the game of cricket. I love entertaining young kids ... I just want to say for the pain I've brought to Australia, to the fans and the public".

 

Smith, who once touted as next Don Bradman, also faced humiliating scenes on Wednesday as he had to face boos and cries of "cheat" while making his way through Johannesburg airport. The 28-year-old was surrounded with many security officials who were seen holding Smith's arms.

Smith and Warner was on Wednesday banned from cricket for 12 months. Bancroft was slapped with nine months ban by Cricket Australia.

Smith was charged with knowledge of a potential plan "to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball" but Warner was charged with developing the plan.

While Warner, who was the vice-captain of the Australian team, will not be considered ever for the leadership role of the national team, Smith and Cameron Bancroft would not be picked for captaincy until a minimum of 12 months after the end of their suspensions, Cricket Australia (CA) said in a statement.

Smith and Warner have also been ejected from this year's Indian Premier League, losing contracts worth up to $2 million each.

All three players will also be required to undertake 100 hours of voluntary service in community cricket.

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Warner apologises for 'stain on the game'

David Warner, identified by Cricket Australia as a central figure in the ball-tampering scandal, has has issued his first public statement since the events of the Cape Town Test, apologising for "the distress he has caused the sport and its fans".

"To cricket fans in Australia and all over the world: I am currently on my way to Sydney. Mistakes have been made which have damaged cricket," Warner said via a statement on Twitter on Thursday morning. "I apologise for my part and take responsibility for it. I understand the distress this has caused to the sport and its fans. It's a stain on the game we all love and I have loved since I was a boy. I need to take a deep breath and spend time with my family, friends and trusted advisors. You will hear from me in a few days."

Later on Thursday, after landing in Sydney, Warner was the only one of the three players banned for ball-tampering to not speak at a press conference. "As you can imagine it has been a tough and emotional time for my wife and the kids at this present time. You'll hear from me in a couple of days," he said at the airport, accompanied by his family. "At the moment my priority is to get these kids in bed and rest up and let my mind get clear, so that I think and talk to you in a couple of days."

 

On Wednesday, Warner was banned from international and domestic cricket by CA for 12 months and was also been barred from assuming any kind of leadership position in Australian cricket in the future. His IPL contract was also cancelled for the 2018 season and his personal endorsement deals have taken a hit with electronics brand LG and kit manufacturer ASICS severing ties.

This was the fallout of the ball-tampering incident that took place on Saturday during the third Test against South Africa at Newlands. Television cameras had caught Cameron Bancroft rubbing a foreign substance on the rough side of the ball - the opposite side which a player usually shines. The coach Darren Lehmann then sent out a message through 12th man Peter Handscomb, following which Bancroft shoved a yellow object down his trousers, prompting scrutiny from the match officials.

At the post-day press conference, Bancroft and the captain Steven Smith admitted to ball-tampering with sticky tape in an effort to generate reverse swing and said "the leadership group" had known about the plan beforehand. After an investigation into the matter by CA's head of integrity, Iain Roy, Warner, who was vice-captain at the time, was charged with "development of a plan to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball and instruction to a junior player to carry out a plan to take steps to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball using sandpaper."

A day before the findings of the investigation came to light, there were reports that the Australian players wanted Warner out of the team and that the CA management was equally keen to see the back of him.

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'I've given up my spot for free' - Bancroft

Cameron Bancroft admits he will regret his choice to tamper with the ball in Cape Town for the rest of his life, but has not yet decided whether he will contest the nine-month ban handed to him by Cricket Australia.

Arriving at home in Perth, Bancroft spoke for the first time since the press conference in which he and the Australian captain Steven Smith misled the public about the nature of the ball-tampering offence, claiming he had used adhesive tape instead of the sandpaper he later admitted to using, after being instructed as to how to do so by the vice-captain David Warner

"Yes, I lied. I lied about the sandpaper and I panicked. I panicked in that situation and I'm very sorry," he said. "I love the game of cricket and playing for my nation and my state, there is no greater pride for me. I am extremely disappointed and regret my actions. I am to the people who have looked up to me around the world, especially the kids.

"I will focus on my actions and my conduct going forward. Not a second has gone by where I haven't wanted to turn back time. I will regret this for the rest of my life. I just want to show how I am, and at the end of the day, they are my actions that I am accountable for, and they don't reflect on my values and what I have grown up to be. It is something I am very ashamed of and so for."

Though the WACA chief executive, Christina Matthews, initially said that Bancroft would accept his punishment, his response to a question about contesting the penalty imposed by CA - a nine-month playing ban and a two-year ban from captaincy - told a rather different tale. "At the moment, I have received the paperwork for my sanction," he said. "I respect the process that is going to come with that and I will work with my manager [Trent Ovens] and we'll move forward with that."

The cricket cost has been at the forefront of Bancroft's mind ever since he realised the gravity of the situation. He arrived home just as three players flown from Australia as replacements - Matt Renshaw, Joe Burns and Glenn Maxwell - prepared to train on the eve of the fourth Test against South Africa at the Wanderers.

"Through the last few days, sitting in my own company, the thing that breaks my heart the most is that I have given up my spot in the team for somebody else for free," Bancroft said. "People know that I've worked so hard to be able to get to this stage in my career, and to know that I have just given somebody an opportunity for free is devastating for me.

"I know it is going to be a difficult journey back, but the moment I step outside this room is the moment I take the step forward to earning that respect back. Through this whole experience and whirlwind has been obviously shown how important the game of cricket is to Australia and the public, and we are representations of that.

"For me, it has been a very big wake-up call for myself about what that means and how amazing an opportunity it is to wear the baggy green cap. I feel I have let everyone down in Australia and I am not proud of that, and I know it is going to take time to heal and to earn that respect back from everybody."

Among Bancroft's biggest regrets is that he did not question the suggestion from his opening partner Warner that he attempt to rough up the ball with sandpaper, having never before been involved with ball tampering at any level of the game. "I've never, ever been involved in tampering with the ball," he said. "It completely compromises my values and what I stand for as a player and a person, and for Australian cricket, it is not acceptable.

"I had the opportunity to take control of my own values and my actions and I didn't, and that's a real embarrassment for me and I am for what has entailed since then for that, and it is just a responsibility I completely take on myself.

"It is so big because the action of doing it is completely wrong, and for me to carry out that in front of world cricket and to be seen breaking the laws of the game, not playing within the spirit of the game, it is completely how cricket shouldn't be played. It is going to be a really long road, especially for myself to earn that respect back, but for me, that's the important thing."

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Smith's tears force Lehmann to step down as Australia coach

Steven Smith's anguished arrival was the final straw. A day after vowing to stay on and drive cultural renewal, Australia's coach Darren Lehmann bowed to the inevitable on Thursday and chose to resign at the conclusion of the Wanderers Test match after five years at the helm of the national team, saying the former captain's tears had convinced him it was the only course of action.

His public announcement, a matter of minutes after he told an already shell-shocked Test squad, was followed by a surreal training session, where the touring party engaged mainly in football and fielding drills while the Wanderers public address system belted out classic Australian songs such as How to Make Gravy by Paul Kelly, Into My Arms by Nick Cave, Reckless by Australian Crawl, Don't Dream It's Over by Crowded House and Wide Open Road by The Triffids.

Lehmann confessed to not being able to sleep since Saturday night following the team's exposure for ball tampering. While maintaining his lack of knowledge of the plot between David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, with the approval of Smith, Lehmann conceded it was impossible for him to stay on as coach while the team and Cricket Australia continued to be under attack. The home Test series sponsor Magellan cancelled its deal on Thursday, while longtime broadcast partner Channel Nine looked the other way in signing a new five-year deal with Australian tennis.

Sutherland says he will stay on

James Sutherland has said that he will not step down as Cricket Australia's chief executive in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal that has already resulted in bans for Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft and the resignation of the coach Darren Lehmann.

"I'm absolutely committed to my job, my employment and tenure is a matter for the board of Cricket Australia but I'm not resigning, in fact what has happened over the last few days has only strengthened my resolve to ensure that Australian cricket and the Australian cricket team gets back on track, and back in a place where it has not only the full respect but the pride of the Australian community," Sutherland said in Johannesburg shortly after Lehmann had made his announcement.

"It's been a difficult week, but most difficult for those three players who have returned to Australia. They are obviously in a very difficult and sad place, and between CA and the ACA, we will offer all of those players all the support we can, all the welfare services within and outside our system. We will make sure we support the players and their families as best we can."

"It's been happening for a few days, and you think you can keep going, but the amount of abuse or whatever word you want to use just takes its toll, everyone has their views out there, but they made a mistake, and we need to get the game back on track," Lehmann said. "And speaking to my family they've had enough of traveling 300 days a year and not being home at all to see your family, so that's also a big reason, the main reason. Spend some time with them, see the kids and maybe go and watch my son play cricket, and be there for my daughters.

"I've been speaking with the hierarchy the last couple of days, and this morning, no sleep last night again, no-one's slept, that's the biggest challenge fronting up tomorrow. I don't think I've slept since Saturday to be perfectly honest, couple hours here and there, playing around in your head, and what's right, and let the game move forward.

"After seeing events in the media today with Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, the feeling is that Australian cricket needs to move forward and this is the right thing to do. I really felt for Steve as I saw him crying in front of the media and all of the players are really hurting. As I've stated before I had no prior knowledge of the incident and do not condone what happened at all, but good people can make mistakes."

 

Darren Lehmann had a checkered past as a cricketer, and it extended into his coaching career too

After watching Smith and Bancroft speak emotionally in Australia, Lehmann said he hoped his decision would help the team and game to move on from a hellish five days. "It's been unbelievable. Watching those two young men face the media and I'm sure David will be the same, it's been unbelievable," he said.

"Hopefully the game gets back to the game of cricket, it is a game to be loved and enjoyed. I've had a great time coaching in my career and coaching the Australian team is a real high. So for me looking forward to having some time off and what's the next step from there. I'd love to stay involved in the game because I love it so much. My family and I have copped a lot of abuse over the last week and it's taken its toll on them.

"As many of you sitting in this room will know, life on the road means a lot of time away from our loved ones and after speaking with my family at length over the last few days, it's the right time to step away. I'm ultimately responsible for the culture of the team and I've been thinking about my position for a while, despite telling media yesterday that I'm not resigning, after viewing Steve and Cameron's hurting, it's only fair that I make this decision. This will allow Cricket Australia to complete a full review into the culture of the team and allow them to implement changes to regain the trust of the Australian public. This is the right thing for Australian cricket."

Asked what his proudest moment as coach had been, having won the Ashes twice at home and also the 2015 World Cup, Lehmann pointed to the way the team dealt with the death of Phillip Hughes in November 2014. "I would say the way we dealt with Phillip Hughes," he said. "We're only playing a game, that's all we're playing, we lost a great young man and the way we tried to deal with that is probably my proudest moment as coach. You win games, you lose games, that for me would be the most pleasing one."

Lehmann agreed it would be extremely difficult for the team to find the mental strength to perform at a high level over the next five days. "I thought this was tough, but speaking to the players and saying goodbye, telling them the news, that's the toughest thing I've ever had to do," he said. "It's about fronting up for your country and playing good cricket over the next five days.

"Like all Australians, we are extremely disappointed and as a team we know we've let so many people down, and for that we're truly sorry. The players involved have been handed down very serious sanctions, and they know they must face the consequences. They've made a grave mistake but they are not bad people. I hope the team rebuilds from this and the Australian public find it in their hearts to forgive these young men and get behind the XI who are going to take the field tomorrow.

"It's been an unbelievable series marred by some incidents, but it's great playing against South Africa, two rival countries that really play the game of cricket really hard and it's been an exciting Test series. So our challenge is to get back to level the series, and that'd be a big challenge but the boys will be doing everything they possibly can."

That effort started with the Australian playlist over the Wanderers speakers. These are extraordinary times.

[Kool_SRG]

[Kool_SRG]

Vaarni super Drama nadustondi 

[Naaperushiva]

22 minutes ago, Kool_SRG said:

Vaarni super Drama nadustondi 

Yes drama plus pakka emotions kooda.....Kaani inka reverse swing choodam ...i pity bowlers...

[Naaperushiva]

23 minutes ago, Kool_SRG said:

Vaarni super Drama nadustondi 

First of all aus team didnt handle it well.. And CA screwed it even further...

Gunapam lagadiya

[Kool_SRG]

4 minutes ago, Naaperushiva said:

First of all aus team didnt handle it well.. And CA screwed it even further...

Gunapam lagadiya

Naaku telisi some kind change in the suspension verdict untadi chudu few days lo... Vaallaki edo one week time ichainattunaru ga appeal ki...

[Naaperushiva]

2 minutes ago, Kool_SRG said:

Naaku telisi some kind change in the suspension verdict untadi chudu few days lo... Vaallaki edo one week time ichainattunaru ga appeal ki...

Mostly vundocchu but Warner ki vundadhu....Smith N Bancroft ki vuntey baagunnu

[Naaperushiva]

Ball tampering legal cheyyali..asale batsmen game ayipoyindhi....

 

[phatposts]

Chesindi vedhava pani, dorikaru, penalty vesaru. 

Eee press meet lu, edupulu anni PR stunt and scene reversal ee. 

[Kool_SRG]

Just now, Naaperushiva said:

Ball tampering legal cheyyali..asale batsmen game ayipoyindhi....

 

Idi cheyyaru le gaani... Boundaries should be made bigger, rope meeda padith SIX these all should be rolled back...

Only if it clears the fence completely it should be SIX..