Futures of Smith, Lehmann hang in the balance as ASC calls for sackings
The futures of Australian cricket captain Steve Smith and coach Darren Lehmann hang by a thread as pressure builds on Cricket Australia to take action over a ball-tampering scandal which has rocked the sport and comes at a delicate time in a $1 billion broadcast rights negotiation.
Smith's future as a player and, particularly, as captain is in doubt after he admitted to hatching a plan to tamper the ball on day three of the third Test against South Africa. A report by CA's integrity officer will influence whether Lehmann, with more than a year running on his contract, and Smith retain their roles.
Fairfax Media understands CA chief executive James Sutherland was expected to grill Smith before play resumed on day four on Sunday.
CA is dealing with a furore not seen since India threatened to go home mid-tour in 2007-08 and even the infamous under-arm incident against New Zealand of 1981 after it was caught attempting to alter the condition of the ball.
Sutherland said he had not yet spoken to Smith.
Photo: AAPCameron Bancroft used a yellow piece of tape to illegally tamper with the ball, a plan that was devised by the team's leadership group during the lunch break. This group is likely to have featured Smith, vice-captain David Warner, fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood and possibly Nathan Lyon but, according to Smith, not Lehmann.
CA chief executive James Sutherland said on Sunday integrity chief Iain Roy and team-performance boss Pat Howard had flown to South Africa and would begin a comprehensive review.
However, the Australian Sports Commission, which distributes funding to all sports, wants immediate action, with chairman John Wylie and chief executive Kate Palmer calling for scalps.
"The ASC condemns cheating of any form in sport. The ASC expects and requires that Australian teams and athletes demonstrate unimpeachable integrity in representing our country," the ASC said in a statement.
"The Australian cricket team are iconic representatives of our country. The example they set matters a great deal to Australia and to the thousands of young Australians playing or enjoying the sport of cricket and who look up to the national team as role models.
"Given the admission by Australian captain Steve Smith, the ASC calls for him to be stood down immediately by Cricket Australia, along with any other members of the team leadership group or coaching staff who had prior awareness of, or involvement in, the plan to tamper with the ball. This can occur while Cricket Australia completes a full investigation."
The ASC's call came as Test great Adam Gilchrist said "Australian cricket now and the integrity of Australian cricket is the laughing stock of world sport".
Smith remains the centre-piece of the investigation, with Sutherland not guaranteeing he would remain in the role come the fourth Test against the Proteas in Johannesburg, beginning on Friday.
"Steve Smith is currently the captain of the Australian team. We are working through a process ... once we have got a clearer picture of the facts and once we understand things and once Iain submits his report, then we will be able to make further comment," he said.
Sutherland was peppered with questions about Smith, particularly as the skipper had admitted to cheating. But he said he not spoken with Smith nor did he know who had been part of the leadership group which made the ill-fated decision.
"In recent times, as most of you know, I have had reason to speak to Steve about the team's behaviour ... as I said, I have very strong and clear views about the responsibility of the Australian cricket team to play the game in the right spirit and I don't anyone will be under any illusions there in the team as to what I think about this," Sutherland said.
Caught red-handed: Cameron Bancroft has been charged with ball tampering.
He said the ongoing Test needed to conclude and "in the course of the next couple of days we will get to bottom of this and we will take appropriate action".
"We are shocked and disappointed at what we saw on the field," he said.
Sutherland also refused to endorse Lehmann when asked if the South Australian should consider his own future.
"The way you framed that question, that's a question for Darren Lehmann but, from a Cricket Australia perspective, our responsibility right now is to understand the facts and to deal with those and respond accordingly," he said.
CA is seeking a new broadcast rights deal of more than $900 million, with some cricket insiders expecting local networks to use the latest scandal as leverage in negotiations. Networks Ten, Nine and Foxtel have put in opening bids for the rights to international matches on Australian shores and the Big Bash League. However, competitive tension means CA is still likely to pocket a bumper deal.
Sutherland stopped short of declaring the Australians had cheated, rather admitting it was a "very sad" day.
"I will make a judgement on that in the next couple of days. Let's put ourselves in a position of understanding the fact," he said.
"We regard this as an extremely serious issue. Australian cricket fans want to be proud of their cricket team ... I think this morning they have every reason to not wake up and be proud of the team. It's a very sad day for Australian cricket. One of the very unique things about cricket is that it is not only to be played within the laws of the game but in the spirit of the game.
"Activities on the field yesterday in Cape Town are neither within the laws of the game or within the spirit of the game."
Bancroft has been charged by match referee Andy Pycroft and faces a one-Test suspension, while the reputation of Smith and the Australian team has been shredded.
CA chairman David Peever arrived home on Sunday, having attended the opening days of the Newlands Test.
The cricketing world has reacted in anger and shame, with former England captain Michael Vaughan declaring on social media that "his Team & ALL the management will have to accept that whatever happens in their careers they will all be known for trying to CHEAT the game".
Smith said he would not step down from the captaincy but admitted he and fellow senior players had devised the plan in a bid to extra reverse swing. This type of swing has been pivotal through the series, with the ball going "Irish" after about 40 overs, but the tourists had been unable to extract the swing they had wanted on day three.
Bancroft said it was yellow tape and not sandpaper that he had taken onto the field.
The Australian Cricketers Association said "it seems serious errors of judgement have been committed".