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The fallout from the ball tampering fiasco reached its climax overnight in Johannesburg as Cricket Australia read the riot act to Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith and David Warner. Join The Roar for live updates from around 6:30pm (AEDT) as Bancroft and Smith speak to the media for the first time since their original press conference in Cape Town.
With the trio sent home from South Africa, Bancroft and Smith are expected to front the media when they touch down in Perth and Sydney airports respectively.
Bancroft was on a flight direct to Perth and will talk first at the WACA at approximately 6:30pm (AEDT), while the media have been advised to set up in Sydney by roughly the same time, with Smith’s talk to follow.
It’s been one of the darkest weeks in Australian cricket history. From the moment Bancroft was caught putting what was suspected to be sticky tape, but later found to be sandpaper, down the front of his pants in Cape Town, things have unravelled at a record pace.
Smith was first banned for one Test by the ICC, then Bancroft and Warner were withdrawn from the fourth and final Test of the series by Cricket Australia. That followed an investigation team flying to South Australia, including chief executive James Sutherland.
It all reached its peak overnight though, with Smith and Warner – as the leadership duo – suspended from all international and domestic cricket for a period of 12 months. Bancroft will be joining them on the sidelines for nine of those.
Warner is yet to speak to the media since the incident and again won’t be fronting up in Sydney, but the pair who infamously sat down in front of the press at the close of Day 3 in Cape Town and admitted to cheating will aim to take control of their situation again.
Smith and Bancroft are tasked with the job of starting to win back over the Australian public, who have turned on the cricket team in a big way. Their every word will be recorded and played again and again with ‘sorry’ likely to be a word flowing.
What won’t be expected are any outlandish announcements. We may, however, find out whether each player is going to fight their proposed sanction, or simply take some time away from cricket and then come back through grade cricket in their respective states next summer.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of Smith and Bancroft’s press conferences from around 6:30pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment below.