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Steve Smith and ball-tampering scandal updates: Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland arrives in South Africa
Date: Tuesday, 27 March, 2018 11:59 IST
Match Status: Yet to Start
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HIGHLIGHTS
Former Australian international Trevor Chappell, infamous for bowling underarm in a Test match against New Zealand, has had his say on the ball-tampering scandal.
"What I did has lived with me ever since and it will be the same for Smith and Bancroft. They will struggle for the rest of their lives and be known as the ones who brought Australian cricket into disrepute."
Read the rest of Trevor Chappell's comments here.
Ahead of releasing the results of Cricket Australia's probe into the ball-tampering scandal, CA chief James Sutherland has arrived in South Africa.
Cricket Australia begin probe in South Africa
According to news channels, Cricket Australia have begun their prove into the ball-tampering incident. Cameron Bancroft is reportedly the first one to be grilled.
Could David Warner also lose Sunrisers Hyderabad captaincy?
Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor VVS Laxman has told PTI that the franchise would wait for Cricket Australia's decision on captain David Warner before taking a call on his participation.
Steve Smith steps down as Rajasthan Royals captain?
According to media reports, Steve Smith has given up the captaincy of Indian Premier League outfit Rajasthan Royals. The reports added that Ajinkya Rahane could take over as skipper.
Crucial hours for Steve Smith, Darren Lehmann and David Warner
“The Cricket Australia Board has been fully updated on the issue and supports James (Sutherland, CEO of Cricket Australia) travelling to South Africa to manage the response to the investigation currently underway. We expect to be able to fully update the Australian public on the findings on Wednesday morning (Tuesday evening in Johannesburg).”
“We understand that everyone wants answers, but we must follow our due diligence before any further decisions are made,” Cricket Australia Chairman David Peever said in a statement put out by CA.
'Australians want answers'
“I am travelling to Johannesburg this evening and will arrive on Tuesday morning (local time) to meet Iain (Roy, Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Integrity) to understand the findings of the investigation to that point, and to determine recommended outcomes.
“We know Australians want answers and we will keep you updated on our findings and next steps, as a matter of urgency,” Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland has said in a statement.
Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland to travel to South Africa
According to a press release put out by Cricket Australia, CA's Executive General Manager for Team Performance Pat Howard and Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Integrity Iain Roy have already left for South Africa. Meanwhile, Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland will also join them in the Rainbow Nation by the end of the day.
Steve Smith is a great batsman, but is he a great cricketer?
This incident will certainly see Smith lose a lot of respect, particularly from opponents and perhaps most damningly from the Australian cricket public, writes Akash Fotedar. You can read his piece here.
Watch Cricketwallah Ayaz Memon discuss the ball-tampering scandal on our Facebook live The ball-tampering saga shows that the winning at all cost mentality has gone too far, says cricket expert Ayaz Memon on our Facebook live while discussing #SandpaperGate. Catch it live right now on our Facebook page .
David Warner accused of ball-tampering during Ashes After being stripped off his vice-captaincy for his alleged role in the ball-tampering scandal in the third Test between South Africa and Australia, David Warner now faces accusations of tampering the ball during the 2017-18 Ashes series in Australia. Read more about it here
Smith, Warner and Lehmann to be axed? Australian skipper Steve Smith has already been banned for the fourth Test, but reports state that he, along with former vice-captain David Warner may be banned for a year by Cricket Australia. Meanwhile, Darren Lehmann is reportedly set to step down as Australia coach. Read all the latest developments here
Matt Renshaw called up for fourth Test Matt Renshaw has been added to the Australian squad for the fourth Test against South Africa. Renshaw is currently playing in the Sheffield Shield final in Australia.
Former Australian international Trevor Chappell, infamous for bowling underarm in a Test match against New Zealand, has had his say on the ball-tampering scandal. "What I did has lived with me ever since and it will be the same for Smith and Bancroft. They will struggle for the rest of their lives and be known as the ones who brought Australian cricket into disrepute." Read the rest of Trevor Chappell's comments here.
Ahead of releasing the results of Cricket Australia's probe into the ball-tampering scandal, CA chief James Sutherland has arrived in South Africa.
Good morning and welcome back to Firstpost's coverage of the ball-tampering scandal that has engulfed Australian cricket. With Cricket Australia set to announce the results of its probe on Tuesday, follow our blog for all the latest updates.
That's it from us today. We will bring you more updates from this ball-tampering saga tomorrow. Keep following Firstpost
Cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar weighs in on the raging issue.
Mohammed Kaif looks at the other side of the #Sandpapergate fallout, especially keeping the upcoming IPL in mind.
This could be a massive blow to Australia's hopes of sharing the series honours with the Proteas in the final Test at Johannesburg. Warner has hit two half-centuries in the three Tests so far.
The Australian public might be baying for Steve Smith and David Warner's blood in the aftermath of the ball-tampering scandal, but former India pacer Ashish Nehra told PTI that the duo should be given a chance as far as the Indian Premier League (IPL) is concerned, and that barring them from the 11th edition of the tournament would be a big loss for the tournament as a whole. While Nehra said that the two were wrong in their choices, he also maintained that the trend is something that's not new in international cricket. Read the rest of Ashish Nehra's comments here
A timeline of ball-tampering incidents in cricket:
Cricket Australia begin probe in South Africa According to news channels, Cricket Australia have begun their prove into the ball-tampering incident. Cameron Bancroft is reportedly the first one to be grilled.
Could David Warner also lose Sunrisers Hyderabad captaincy? Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor VVS Laxman has told PTI that the franchise would wait for Cricket Australia's decision on captain David Warner before taking a call on his participation.
It's official! Steve Smith to be replaced by Ajinkya Rahane as Rajasthan Royals captain
Steve Smith steps down as Rajasthan Royals captain? According to media reports, Steve Smith has given up the captaincy of Indian Premier League outfit Rajasthan Royals. The reports added that Ajinkya Rahane could take over as skipper.
Should Ponting and Langer be the ones Australia look to to get the country's cricket team out of this crisis?
Former cricketers have their say While Michael Clarke has urged Australians that Steve Smith be forgiven, here's what some former cricketers have had to say: “Australian cricket is the laughing stock of the sporting world.” — Adam Gilchrist “Disappointed in Steve Smith as captain to go out there and do that. To me it was un-Australian. I don’t care who you are you can’t tamper with the ball.” — Shane Warne “I’m shocked at what’s gone on. I’ve never seen anything as blatant as that.” — Shaun Pollock “It was pre-meditated and they’ve been caught. They have been shown to cheat.” — Greame Smith
Michael Clarke urges Australians to forgive Steve Smith "I do feel for Steve Smith. 100 percent he has made a major mistake and he and a lot of other people I think are going to have to suffer the consequences," Clarke told Channel Seven . "That's fair enough. But I think it's important that we do over time forgive as well." Read the rest of Clarke's comments here .
Australian media letting it rip The backlash in Australia has been intense! The Australian media, for one, have ripped apart Steve Smith and the rest of the Australian team. The influential broadsheet The Australian had the headline “Smith’s Shame” on their front page -- a sentiment echoed by other publications in the country. Sports writer Robert Craddock, in his piece in Australia's Daily Telegraph , wrote: “It was the culmination of a grubby win-at-all-costs culture finally crossing from self-righteous rule-bending into a world of shameless, bald-faced cheating.” The Sydney Morning Herald was scathing in its assessment of the Australian cricket leadership, saying, "As this disreputable tour descended from the gutter into the sewer, the mythical line the Australians use as the yardstick for their behaviour has not only become blurred but disappeared altogether. This has been a truly awful few weeks for Australian cricket whose reputation has hit a new low. Rehabilitation will be long and slow.” Here's what the rest of the Australian media has had to say about the issue.
Crucial hours for Steve Smith, Darren Lehmann and David Warner “The Cricket Australia Board has been fully updated on the issue and supports James (Sutherland, CEO of Cricket Australia) travelling to South Africa to manage the response to the investigation currently underway. We expect to be able to fully update the Australian public on the findings on Wednesday morning (Tuesday evening in Johannesburg).” “We understand that everyone wants answers, but we must follow our due diligence before any further decisions are made,” Cricket Australia Chairman David Peever said in a statement put out by CA.
'Australians want answers' “I am travelling to Johannesburg this evening and will arrive on Tuesday morning (local time) to meet Iain (Roy, Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Integrity) to understand the findings of the investigation to that point, and to determine recommended outcomes. “We know Australians want answers and we will keep you updated on our findings and next steps, as a matter of urgency,” Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland has said in a statement.
Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland to travel to South Africa According to a press release put out by Cricket Australia, CA's Executive General Manager for Team Performance Pat Howard and Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Integrity Iain Roy have already left for South Africa. Meanwhile, Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland will also join them in the Rainbow Nation by the end of the day.
Steve Smith is a great batsman, but is he a great cricketer? This incident will certainly see Smith lose a lot of respect, particularly from opponents and perhaps most damningly from the Australian cricket public, writes Akash Fotedar. You can read his piece here .
Australian cricket's moment of crisis It's been an intense couple of days for the sport, with the ball-tampering scandal blowing up. Australian captain has been suspended for a match, but there are indications coming from Australia that Smith could be facing a lot worse than being stripped of his captaincy. With the issue far from over, Firstpost will be bringing all the latest updates and reactions from the cricketing world.
Sydney: Cricket faces one of the toughest weeks in its history as the backlash grows over Australian ball-tampering, a scandal that could cost Steve Smith not only the Test captaincy but a potential life ban.
The Marylebone Cricket Club, the guardian of the laws of the game, called for a "major shift in attitude" to preserve the game for future generations.
An image grab taken from AFP TV shows Australia's captain Steve Smith (right), besides Cameron Bancroft at a press conference. AFP
"The behaviour of some of the players in the current South Africa/Australia series, and other incidents in recent times in the game we all cherish, has fallen well below the standard required to inspire future generations of cricket-loving families," the MCC said.
Australian captain Smith was banned for one Test and docked his entire match fee by the International Cricket Council for his role in a plot that saw team-mate Cameron Bancroft tamper with the ball during the third Test against South Africa which ended in a crushing 322-run defeat for the visitors.
Smith cedes Royals captaincy
Smith, who is on a $1.9-million contract with Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals, was also replaced as skipper of the IPL outfit on Monday, ahead of the season starting April 7.
"Rajasthan Royals will do everything possible to protect the values and the integrity of the game," said the team's co-owner Manoj Badale.
Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland, under mounting pressure to take responsibility for what Australian media has dubbed a "rotten" team culture, will arrive in South Africa early Tuesday where he will meet up with the body's head of integrity, Iain Roy.
"We are aiming to be in a position to fully update the Australian public on the investigation and outcomes on Wednesday morning," said Sutherland.
"We recognise how important the fans are to our game, and this process is the beginning of restoring your faith in Australian Cricket."
Smith was removed from the captaincy for the remainder of the third Test against South Africa on Sunday after the shock admission that he and senior team members plotted to cheat, and his one-match ban means he will miss the fourth and final Test in Johannesburg starting Friday.
But former South African captain Graeme Smith hit out at the ICC's handling of the scandal.
"I think the ICC missed an opportunity to really handle this properly and lead our game," he told South Africa's Independent Media.
"They haven't done that. You have had two players, who have admitted guilt for cheating. I think that's huge."
Harsh sanction
Steve Smith, 28, is now expected to face a harsh sanction from Cricket Australia for his role in the ball-tampering plan, which saw Bancroft use a strip of yellow sticky tape he'd covered with dirt granules to illegally scratch the rough side of the ball, thereby facilitating more swing for bowlers.
Bancroft was filmed not only rubbing the ball with the dirtied tape but also concealing the evidence down the front of his trousers.
A charge of conduct contrary to the spirit of the game includes a possible life ban.
Smith, whose talents with the bat have drawn comparisons with Aussie great Don Bradman, and all members of the team will remain in South Africa to assist in the investigation.
David Warner also stood down from his role as vice-captain, while questions remain over coach Darren Lehmann although Smith said the former Australian international was not involved in the conspiracy.
Smith initially said the decision was made by the leadership group within the team, but reports in Australia said Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, seen as among those senior figures, were not involved and angry at being implicated.
However, Bancroft, the 25-year-old opening batsman, escaped an ICC suspension. He was instead fined 75 percent of his fee, warned, and hit by three demerit points.
Smith insisted that it was the first time his team had cheated in this manner, but former England captain Michael Vaughan claimed he is "pretty sure" Australia were ball-tampering during their 4-0 victory in the Ashes, which finished earlier this year.
"I cannot think that has been come up with over lunch in Cape Town," Vaughan told BBC Sport.
"I look at the amount of tape some of the fielders have worn, particularly during the Ashes series at mid-on and mid-off. You don't have to name names, they know who they are.
"I am pretty sure it was going on throughout the Ashes series -- but it was not the reason England lost 4-0. They still would have lost the series."
The admission of cheating led even Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to say he was "shocked and bitterly disappointed".