Ball-tampering row: Steve Smith, David Warner banned for 1 year

Sydney (Australia): Steve Smith and David Warner have reportedly been banned for one year, ruling them out of the home series against India, while Cameron Bancroft was handed a nine-month suspension as Cricket Australia came down heavily on the errant trio which disgraced itself in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

“Steven Smith and David Warner, formerly captain and vice-captain of Australia, have been banned for 12 months by Cricket Australia for their roles in the pre-meditated plan to tamper with the ball on the third day of the Cape Town Test against South Africa,” ‘ESPNCricinfo’ reported.

Smith, Warner and Bancroft were sent back home midway into the Test series against South Africa after admitting that they plotted to tamper the ball with a sandpaper in the third Test in Cape Town.

However, chief coach Darren Lehmann was surprisingly given a clean chit after CA concluded its preliminary investigations yesterday.

Tim Paine will captain Australia in the final Test match in Johannesburg with reinforcements in middle-order batsman Glenn Maxwell along with openers Joe Burns and Matt Renshaw scheduled to arrive tomorrow.

Earlier, Warner stepped down as IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper, days after Smith gave up his captaincy of the Rajasthan Royals.

Media reports stated that the three players have a week to appeal against the sanctions.