Reports: CA likely to ban Steve Smith and David Warner for a year

Cricket Australia (CA) is likely to come down hard at the ‘leadership group’ involved in planning the ball-tampering saga in Cape Town Test match. The skipper Steve Smith took all the responsibility of the incident post the third day’s play of the third Test match last week in the press conference. It literally sent shockwaves in the cricketing fraternity as they bashed the Australian team as ‘cheaters’. However, the reports state that Smith and David Warner are likely to be banned for 12 months by the Australian cricket board.

ICC has already suspended the Aussie captain for one Test match and has also fined him 100 percent of his match fee. Also, Cameron Bancroft, who was actually caught on the cameras while trying to change the condition of the ball, was handed over 3 demerit points and fined 75 percent of his match fees. However, Warner has also come under the scanner and is being believed that he was the mastermind of everything.

What about Bancroft?

Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland has travelled all the way to South Africa on Tuesday and is known to be discussing the issue with the body’s head of integrity Iain Roy. According to the reports in Sky Sports, it is possible that the final decision on the matter could come on Wednesday morning as Smith and Warner could be suspended from playing cricket for 12 months which is huge. Though there is no news on what all actions will be taken on Cameron Bancroft who was eventually made the scapegoat in the ball-tampering incident.

Meanwhile, Matt Renshaw has been added to the Australian squad and will leave for Johannesburg on Tuesday itself ahead of the fourth and final Test match of the series against South Africa. Tim Paine might continue to lead the side following the resignation from Smith and Warner from their respective positions as both might miss the Test match with the former already being suspended by ICC.

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