The series between Australia and South Africa is turning out to be the one of the most controversial series ever.
Warner and Smith decided to step down from the captaincy group yesterday as Tim Paine lead the team on the field.
Australia lost the match by 322 runs thus trialing 1-2 in the series, thanks to Morne Morkel”s fifer in the second innings as he was adjudged the MOM in his penultimate test match.
Steve Smith confessed that the leadership group knew about the ball tampering drama beforehand as they were desperate to win. This statement by Smith shocked the entire cricketing world as several Legends named it as “bringing disgrace to the game”.
The Australian Government has asked CA to remove Steve Smith as the skipper with immediate effect.
The “sandpaper gate” can otherwise lead to a life ban on the leadership group (Smith and Warner) for cheating under Cricket Australia”s code of behavior.
CA”s head of integrity Iain Roy and team performance manager Pat Howard traveled to Cape Town to investigate this issue and get a clear picture of it, reported ESPN Cricinfo.
The Chief Executive of CA, James Sutherland issued a public apology to the fans that read “To our Australian Cricket Fans, we are sorry,” Sutherland said. “We are sorry that you had to wake up this morning to news from South Africa that our Australian Men”s Cricket team and our Captain admitted conducting that is outside both the Laws of our game and the Spirit of Cricket. This behavior calls into question the integrity of the team and Cricket Australia. “
Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull, who is an ardent cricket fan expressed his disappointment in a press conference. He said” We all work up this morning shocked and bitterly disappointed by the news from South Africa. It seemed completely beyond belief that the Australian cricket team had been involved in cheating.”
“After all, our cricketers are role models and cricket is synonymous with fair play. How can our team be engaged in cheating like this? It beggars belief.”
“It”s wrong, and I look forward to Cricket Australia taking decisive action soon.”
Meanwhile, ICC revealed the quantum of the punishment to the players involved in the drama. Skipper Steve Smith will face a ban of one test match and fined hundred percent of match fee while Cameron Bancroft was issued three demerit points and a fine of 75% of match fee.
