Steve Smith and David Warner, the former captain and vice-captain of the Australian Test team, have been banned from playing any cricket in Australia for 12 months.
Smith has been barred from any executive position in any Australian team for two years (or 12 months after his playing ban finishes) while Warner won’t lead an Australian cricket side ever again.
Opening batsman Cameron Bancroft, the junior member and chief ball-tamperer, has been banned for nine months.
But all three are still able to play overseas, although the BCCI has banned them from playing in this year’s IPL.
So where does all that leave cricket?
The first question is why didn’t Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland announce the bans at his first media conference 14 hours earlier? Nothing had changed in the interim, so why the delay?
Like a lot of unanswered questions, the delay made no sense at all.
Has the grand old game suffered? No it hasn’t, only the three players have taken their rightful hammering.
The game will always be greater than the players, who are about to cop a massive financial blow, especially Smith and Warner, two of the best batsmen in the world.
They have only themselves to blame, and thoroughly deserve 12-month bans.
(Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
This is a fact. Not one of the three is a moron, but their decision-making has been idiotic.
It is inconceivable they premeditated a ball-tampering exercise that was so directly against the spirit of the game – and illegal.
Secondly, they didn’t take into consideration the 30 television cameras spread all round Newlands that would catch them out – how stupid.
And thirdly, the outrage that would follow if caught would automatically have major collateral damage to their innocent immediate family and loved ones.
Obviously plain bloody stupid, and selfish as well.
Just as obviously two vastly experienced campaigners like Smith and Warner were playing for Australia, but representing themselves.
Did they ever think of how their partners will be treated in public from now on, or from Warner’s point of view how his daughters will be treated in kindergarten – all of them totally innocent, but tarred with the same brush.
Smith and Warner will really feel the financial pinch if their individual sponsors bail out.
Smith has already lost WeetBix, and there’s Gillette and New Balance yet to decide.
LG Electronics has pulled out of Warner’s sponsorship, with Asics and Gray-Nicholls wavering.
This is big business with no way to make up the shortfall.
As in every democratic society, Smith, Warner, and Bancroft can appeal the decisions to an independent arbitrator.
But my advice to both Smith and Warner especially is don’t appeal at any cost as they may well end up with two-year bans, or worse.
Cop the 12, plus the leadership sanctions, and get on with your lives.
It’s going to be damn hard for them and their families, but both have nobody to blame but themselves.
Will either ever play for Australia again?
That will depend on their resilience and remorse – commit the crime and do the time.
That leaves coach Darren Lehmann who so far has been pigeon-holed in the innocent basket.
But he’s obviously guilty of letting the culture of the Australian team crash to toilet level.
What happened in Cape Town would have likely never surfaced if Lehmann had an iron grip on team culture.
Let’s see what happens in Johannesburg, starting Friday.
michael steel
Guest
Disgraceful opening line, Not worth reading the rest of your paragraph. How dare you.
Emil
Guest
And Australia's member of the ICC Board is David Peever the Chairman of Cricket Australia, the flawed genius who saw to it that the player's pay negotiations went for 10 months, the invisible man.
Savage
Roar Rookie
*lehmann
michael steel
Guest
It's not much point in Steve Smith appealing his ban , he said in his press conference he accepted full responsibility for the incident. Regardless of the penalties Warner and Bancroft may have cost the ACB $200 million in cricket rights. They will never play for Australia again. Warner may have trouble getting in a shield side.
Bruce T
Guest
What this article misses is the self righteous attitude taken by the team beforehand. They deserve another 12 months for hypocrisy
Bob Pacey
Guest
What an odd post
Pablo
Roar Rookie
Maybe, if our media moguls were as hard and unforgiving on our politicians as we are on our cricketers, Australia would be a better place, without the lies and double standards, many of them display. Has Steve Smith commented on Turnbulls errors, but Turnbull has on Smth's errors? Talk about overreaction to a game of cricket
Wayne Turner
Guest
We should clean up the rest of society too ie: Our lying pollies.And dodgy media.
Turbo
Guest
It is an insult to support cheating All involved out of the game for good Russia had cheated and expelled from the olympics Get rid of the rubbish and let the guys that didn’t attend the right schools get into the game like rugby I could make up a better team from the mudgee under 15’s It’s not about the millions but the love of the game Warner smith and Lehmann gone and good riddons to bad rubbish They want to get payed for being upright and outstanding citizens but they are neither well that’s what has happened
Ian
Guest
Firstly , the investigation uncovered several facts from the initial outbreak of the story . The so called tape was not tape it was sandpaper , so Lord you are incorrect there as we all know . Secondly , the players involved were not known so Lord your incorrect there as well .
Brett
Guest
Totally agree Every ball tamperer has premeditated that action, otherwise it’s an accident !! The only difference here is the players admitted it.
Savage
Roar Rookie
Smith resignation only reinforces my whole comment james
doogs
Guest
I never criticise your posts, David. I leave that to others. But I must say this is one of the most un-empathetic, ridiculous posts of yours I have read. To say they should not appeal is mind boggling. I have never seen a more rugged sentencing than this one. I wish you would post a new article with more compassion. This one is wrong
Dave.SA
Guest
He didn't Vaughn criticised Aus. Candace Warner asked him he agreed with wives and children being dragged in. Vaughn said certainly not but pointed out that Warners earlier actions had not helped matters...
1st&10
Guest
Bye Smith and thankfully bye bye Warner Warner’s career is over !!! Which is actually great for the game
Barry Richards
Guest
Who takes notice of this David Lord anyway - from the dinosaur era
Pablo
Roar Rookie
No way do I support Smiths actions and his poor leadership, but....... Smith was run out off the airport like a deported criminal! Not just someone who admitted to a plan to damage the ball in a game of cricket, so they could get another ball that MIGHT do more in the air! He is going to be mentally destroyed by this, for life! A bit of understanding about his mental state and Bancrofts,is needed by everyone and especially CA. Warner will continue play 20/20, and not play again for us. Stop the tall poppy syndrome now and all the hysteria. Clarke and Warne have said similar things, think about it, if Smith was your son, I think you would be more worried about his mental state than the sentence..
Johnno
Guest
CA have not had enough time to look at the culture Neil. This ban is for cheating....I don't condone it in any way.
Dicky Knee
Guest
I would be appealing using a very good legal eagle. Actually, what is the definition of "premeditated" you could argue that others who have been caught for ball tampering got off lightly. Wasn't that when Faff did it (now twice) premeditated as well? What about using lollies on the ball with saliva isn't as well or polishing the ball also ball tampering? Its pretty vague the definition in my opinion. I would have thought a massive fine, suspension imposed by ICC and the public humiliation is enough of a punishment for them. The whole thing is a massive amount of public hysteria whipped by the media. I was watching Sky News on Thursday morning before Sutherland's live presser and the garbage they were going on about Trevor Chappell's underarm incident caused his marriage to fall apart and that the player's will need counseling. Oh please, Chappell's marriage could have been on the rocks beforehand. The only thing that I have seen in cricket that wasn't premeditated was when Affridi had a brain snap and scruffed up the pitch in England as everyone was looking into grand stands as fire crackers were going off. That was a brain fade in my opinion!
Bakkies
Guest
Some players have only come recently about what happened back then. Trevor Chappell looks really unhealthy and hasn't spoken to Greg and Ian. Greg threw his brother under the bus and Trevor has copped the brunt of it since.