Australia cricket captain Steve Smith and vice captain David Warner banned 12 months for tampering plot
Their bans will include all top-level cricket in Australia for the next year while Cricket Australia also impose a nine-month ban on Cameron Bancroft
Australia cricket captain Steve Smith and vice captain David Warner have been banned from playing for their country for 12 months, with Warner identified on Wednesday as the instigator of the ball tampering plot in the test series in South Africa.
Cricket Australia also imposed a nine-month ban on Cameron Bancroft, who carried out the on-field tampering on the instructions of Warner and with the knowledge of skipper Smith.
Smith had earlier confirmed his punishment to a small group of Australian reporters before leaving the tour of South Africa in disgrace.
Cricket Australia said Smith and Warner cannot play any first-class cricket – at international or provincial level – in Australia for a year. They would be permitted to play for their clubs in city-level leagues. Bancroft has similar limitations during his nine-month ban.
Smith can’t captain Australia for at least at least after his playing suspension expires, Cricket Australia ruled. It also said Warner, the pugnacious batsman who has a series of disciplinary breaches in his past, can’t ever captain or be vice captain of an Australia team again.