Disgraced, cheating trio will not be allowed to play county cricket this summer after already being kicked out by Australia and the Indian Premier League
CHEATS Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft are facing a world ban from senior cricket after LYING in the ball-tampering scandal.
The disgraced trio will not be allowed to play county cricket this summer after already being kicked out by Australia and the Indian Premier League.
Former captain Smith and his one-time sidekick Warner were suspended by Cricket Australia for a YEAR. Bancroft received a nine-month ban.
The IPL immediately announced they are not welcome in next month’s event, despite Smith having a £1.3million deal with Rajasthan Royals and Warner a similar contract with Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Warner has also lost a lucrative personal sponsorship deal with South Korean electronics giant LG.
The ECB are talking to CA and are expected to reciprocate the suspensions in this country.
That means Bancroft’s Somerset deal this summer will be scrapped and Smith, 28, and Warner, 31, would not be able to play county cricket if they wanted.
CA boss James Sutherland also said claims of ball-tampering in this winter’s Ashes might be re-investigated.
He confirmed: “If there are credible allegations we have the responsibility to address them, though the investigation thus far is that it does appear to be an isolated incident.”
Warner devised the plan to sandpaper the ball during lunch on the third day of the Third Test against South Africa in Cape Town.
Smith did nothing to stop it and they coerced Bancroft, 25, playing just his eighth Test, into carrying out the plan.
Warner actually showed him how to tamper with the ball, which suggests he has done it before.
All three of them lied to umpires Richard Illingworth and Nigel Llong, while Smith and Bancroft also lied at their press conference after play.
Sutherland confirmed: “We had concerns as to some of the comments that were made, and not being totally transparent.
“There was an element of courage in owning up to what happened but there was also unfortunately an element of mistruth in that process.”
Sutherland also confirmed Australian cricket’s code “specifically refers to these practices in which we have made the charges” — and admitted the act was ‘cheating’.
Head coach Darren Lehmann, who kept his job after convincing CA he knew nothing of the plot, fears for the mental wellbeing of the trio.
He said: “They have made a mistake as everyone, including myself, has made mistakes in the past.
“I worry about the three guys immensely. Their health and well- being is important to us.
“I hope people give them a second chance.”
