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ACA calls for Smith, Warner and Bancroft bans to end immediately

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30th October, 2018
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The Australian Cricketers’ Association has today requested bans issued to Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft by Cricket Australia be lifted immediately, following the findings of the Longstaff report on Monday.

With the review finding a culture of arrogance, complacency and win-at-all-costs extremely prevalent throughout the national governing body, the findings suggested Cricket Australia themselves were partly to blame for the ball-tampering scandal that shook the cricketing world in March.

Smith and Warner were both suspended for 12 months, while Bancroft was suspended for nine as a result of the controversy, but the ACA has today said those bans should end immediately.

In an official response to the review, the ACA claimed the report confirmed issues with “many of CA’s behaviours” they’d reportedly had over the last few years.

The final resolution made by the players’ union was for the penalties on all three players to be lifted, given there had been “independent verification that CA’s system and culture were contributing factors” to the incident.

ACA president Greg Dyer added additional commentary on of the penalties imposed on the players.

“What the Longstaff Review reveals is that Cricket Australia itself must also take a share of responsibility for what happened in South Africa,” Dyer said.

“Yes, this moment of madness was ‘individual’ but now there is evidence and independent verification of system failure as well.

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“With this new information common sense, common decency, basic fairness, proportionality and natural justice demand that the punishment is reduced.

“The players have already lost time in the game, chances to play for Australia, endured public humiliation and faced massive financial penalties.

“My message to Cricket Australia is a simple one: These contrite men have been punished enough. Let these contrite men play.

“I add that the ACA will be relentless in pursuing this end,” he said.

Dyer was also keen to assure cricketing fans that the players fully understood the severity of the scandal.

“We assure you. The players ‘get it.’ The players understand,” he said.

The news comes after criticism of the bans by Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne, who both labelled the penalties as excessive.

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Cricket Australia chairman, David Peever, said yesterday that the suspensions would not be ended prematurely, however.

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