![Steve Smith and David Warner fielding in the slips Ashes 2021](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Steve_Smith_and_David_Warner_fielding_in_the_slips_Ashes_2021.jpg)
The 2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal, also known as the Sandpapergate scandal, was a cricket cheating scandal surrounding the
Australian national cricket team
The Australia men's national cricket team represents Australia in men's international cricket. As the joint oldest team in Test cricket history, playing in the first ever Test match in 1877, the team also plays One-Day International (ODI) an ...
. In March 2018, during the third
Test match Test match in some sports refers to a sporting contest between national representative teams and may refer to:
* Test cricket
* Test match (indoor cricket)
* Test match (rugby union)
* Test match (rugby league)
* Test match (association football)
...
against
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
at
Newlands in
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
,
Cameron Bancroft
Cameron Timothy Bancroft (born 19 November 1992) is an Australian cricketer contracted to Western Australia in Australian first class cricket, Durham in English first class cricket, and the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League. He made his T ...
was caught by television cameras trying to rough up one side of the ball with
sandpaper
upright=1.35, Sheets of sandpaper with different grit sizes (40 (coarse), 80, 150, 240, 600 (fine)).
Sandpaper and glasspaper are names used for a type of coated abrasive that consists of sheets of paper or cloth with abrasive material glued to ...
to make it
swing in flight. Captain
Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to:
Academics
* Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager
* Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...
and vice-captain
David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to:
Sports
* Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor
* David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier
* David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer
Oth ...
were found to be involved and all three received unprecedented sanctions from
Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia (CA), formerly known as the Australian Cricket Board (ACB), is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in Australia. It was originally formed in 1905 as the 'Australian Board of Control for International Crick ...
. Although he was found not to have been directly involved, Australia's coach,
Darren Lehmann
Darren Scott Lehmann (born 5 February 1970) is an Australian cricket coach and former cricketer who coached the Australian national team. Lehmann made his ODI debut in 1996 and Test debut in 1998. He was on the fringes of national selection fo ...
, announced he would step down from his role following the scandal. Smith was replaced by
Tim Paine
Timothy David Paine (born 8 December 1984) is an Australian cricketer and a former captain of the Australia national cricket team in Test cricket. A right-handed batsman and a wicket-keeper, he plays for the Tasmanian Tigers in Australian dome ...
as captain in all formats before
Aaron Finch took over from Paine in ODIs and T20Is.
Background
In March 2018, the
Australia national cricket team toured South Africa to play four
Test matches against the
South Africa national cricket team
The South Africa national cricket team, also known as the Proteas, represents South Africa in men's international cricket and is administered by Cricket South Africa (CSA). South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council ...
. Entering the 3rd Test, the series was level 1–1.
On 24 March 2018, during the third day of the 3rd Test, after the 43rd over of South Africa's second innings,
Australia's Cameron Bancroft was shown on the television coverage and on screens at the ground appearing to rub the ball with a small yellow object.
After Bancroft realised that he had been seen, he was again shown on the television coverage and on screens at the ground hiding the object in the front of his trousers. He was then approached by the
umpires
An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection.
The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...
, and he showed them a dark
microfibre
Microfiber (or microfibre) is synthetic fiber finer than one denier or decitex/thread, having a diameter of less than ten micrometers. A strand of silk is about one denier and about a fifth of the diameter of a human hair.
The most common t ...
sunglass pouch from his pocket. The umpires inspected the ball, and chose neither to offer the ball to the South African team to replace it if they wished, nor award them five
penalty runs
In cricket, a penalty run is a type of extra. It is a run awarded to one team for various breaches of the Laws by the other team, generally related to unfair play or player conduct. Many of these penalties have been added since 2000. Penalties a ...
, the options available to the umpires under Law 41.3 of the
Laws of Cricket
The ''Laws of Cricket'' is a code which specifies the rules of the game of cricket worldwide. The earliest known code was drafted in 1744 and, since 1788, it has been owned and maintained by its custodian, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in Lond ...
. This indicated that the ball had not been altered in any noticeable way. At the time, South Africa was 129/2 with a 185 run lead.
At the press conference at the end of the day's play, Bancroft, accompanied by Australia's captain, Steve Smith, admitted that he was shown attempting to alter the condition of the ball using a short length of yellow
adhesive tape to which dirt and grit had adhered, forming an abrasive surface.
Five days later, and after an investigation into the incident by Cricket Australia, he admitted it was sandpaper, which cricketers use to maintain their
bats
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bir ...
.
Smith also admitted that he knew of the plan in advance of Bancroft's actions. Smith said that the plan was made during the lunch break by the "leadership group", which he did not name.
Smith said it was a "big mistake", and when questioned by the media, said that he would not be standing down as captain of the team.
Andy Pycroft
Andrew John Pycroft (born 6 June 1956) is a former Zimbabwean cricketer who played in 3 Test matches and 20 One Day Internationals from 1983 to 1992.
Domestic career
He played for Rhodesia
Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic ...
, the
match referee, charged Bancroft with a Level 2 offence of attempting to alter the condition of the ball.
David Richardson, CEO of the
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the world governing body of cricket. Headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, its members are 108 national associations, with 12 Full Members and 96 Associate Members. Founded in 1909 as the ' ...
(ICC), charged Smith with "conduct of a serious nature that is contrary to the spirit of the game".
Smith accepted the charge and the proposed sanction of two suspension points, which equated to a ban for the next Test match, four demerit points being added to his record, and was fined 100% of his match fee. Bancroft accepted the charge against him, was handed three demerit points and fined 75% of his match fee.
Response
Following Smith's admission, Australia's Prime Minister at that time,
Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Turnbull grad ...
, said it was a "shocking disappointment".
He phoned Cricket Australia (CA) Board chairman David Peever
directly to express that disappointment and concern, saying that there has to be the strongest action taken.
The
Australian Sports Commission
The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) is the Australian Government commission responsible for supporting and investing in sport in Australia. The Commission incorporates the Australian Institute of Sport. From 2018 to 2022, it was known as S ...
requested that Smith stand down immediately,
and the incident was widely condemned by former international players and officials.
In a press release dated 25 March 2018, CA CEO
James Sutherland apologised to fans and confirmed that both Smith and Warner had agreed to stand down from their roles of captain and vice-captain respectively for the remainder of the match. In the same release, David Peever announced that
Tim Paine
Timothy David Paine (born 8 December 1984) is an Australian cricketer and a former captain of the Australia national cricket team in Test cricket. A right-handed batsman and a wicket-keeper, he plays for the Tasmanian Tigers in Australian dome ...
, the team's
wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being watchful of the batsman and ready to take a catch, stump the batsman out and run out a batsman when occasion arises. ...
, had been endorsed by the Board of CA to step in as acting captain, and Smith and Warner would take to the field under him.
South Africa went on to win the Test match by 322 runs, Australia dismissed meekly for 107 in the fourth innings.
Cricket Australia investigation
Cricket Australia launched its own investigation into the incident, led by Executive General Manager Team Performance,
Pat Howard, with CA Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Integrity Iain Roy. CA CEO
James Sutherland joined the investigators in South Africa. On 27 March 2018, before the findings of that investigation were handed down, opening batsman
Matt Renshaw
Matthew Thomas Renshaw (born 28 March 1996) is an Australian international cricketer. He played eleven Tests for Australia between 2016 and 2018 as an opening batsman, and was recalled to the Test team in 2023. In domestic first-class cricket ...
was recalled to the squad from Australia ahead of the fourth Test.
On 27 March 2018, Sutherland announced that as a result of the preliminary investigation Smith, Warner and Bancroft had been charged with bringing the game into disrepute, suspended and would be sent home. He said that further sanctions against the three players would be announced within 24 hours, and that CA was satisfied that no one else was involved. He added that as well as Renshaw, opening batsman
Joe Burns and all-rounder
Glenn Maxwell
Glenn James Maxwell (born 14 October 1988) is an Australian professional cricketer, who represents Australia national cricket team in One Day International and Twenty20 International formats of the game and has played Test cricket for Australi ...
were added to the squad to replace them, and confirmed that Paine had been appointed captain for the fourth Test. There was no announcement about the vacant vice-captain position.
South Africa dominated the fourth Test against the depleted Australian team, winning by 492 runs to inflict Australia's second heaviest defeat by runs, and winning the series 3–1.
Findings
During a meeting on 28 March 2018, lasting over two hours, the Cricket Australia Board considered the report. The three players were sanctioned by Cricket Australia for breaching article 2.3.5 of Cricket Australia's Code of Conduct
by engaging in conduct that was contrary to the spirit of the game, unbecoming of a representative, harmful to the interests of the game, and/or which brings the game into disrepute.
Warner was found to be responsible for the development of the plan to alter the condition of the ball and instructing Bancroft on how to do it, including demonstrating the technique to him. He was also found to have failed to prevent the plan being implemented, misled match officials by concealing his knowledge of the plan and not voluntarily reporting his involvement. He received a twelve-month suspension from "all international and domestic cricket" and he "will not be considered for team leadership positions ever again." Warner drew flak from a lot of people, many of them his own countrymen, who believed him to be the reason behind the whole scandal. In the Amazon documentary series about the scandal, ''The Test'', Warner opened up on his struggles and road to getting the respect he lost back in the 12 month ban period he served.
Smith was found to have known of the plan but failed to take steps to prevent it, told Bancroft to conceal the sandpaper in his trousers, misled match officials and others regarding Bancroft's attempts to artificially alter the condition of the ball, and made misleading public comments regarding the nature, extent and participants of the plan. He received a twelve-month suspension "from all international and domestic cricket" and he "will not be considered for team leadership positions until a minimum of 12 months after the conclusion of
is suspensionfrom international and domestic cricket. Any consideration of future leadership would be conditional on acceptance by fans and the public, form and authority among the playing group."
Bancroft was found to be a party to the plan to tamper with the ball, that he carried out Warner's instructions, tried to conceal the evidence and made statements to mislead match officials and the public. He received a nine-month suspension from "all international and domestic cricket" and he "will not be considered for team leadership positions until a minimum of 12 months after the conclusion of
is suspensionfrom international and domestic cricket. Any consideration of future leadership would be conditional on acceptance by fans and the public, form and authority among the playing group."
As well, "
l three players will be permitted to play club cricket and will be encouraged to do so to maintain links with the cricket community. In addition, all three players will be required to undertake 100 hours of voluntary service in community cricket."
Ahead of the decision, Smith and Warner had stepped down as captains of the
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals (often abbreviated as RR) are a franchise cricket team based in Jaipur, Rajasthan, that plays in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Founded in 2008 as one of the initial eight IPL franchises, the team is based at the Sawai Ma ...
and
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad (stylised as SunRisers Hyderabad, SRH) are a franchise cricket team based in Hyderabad, Telangana, India, that plays in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The franchise is owned by Kalanithi Maran of the SUN Group and was ...
respectively in the
2018 Indian Premier League
The 2018 season of the Indian Premier League, also known as IPL 11, was the eleventh season of the IPL, a professional Twenty20 cricket league established by the BCCI in 2007. The season, which was held from 7 April to 27 May, saw the return o ...
(IPL).
On 28 March 2018, the
Board of Control for Cricket in India
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the national governing body for cricket in India. Its headquarters are situated at Cricket centre, Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The BCCI is the richest governing body of cricket in the world ...
(BCCI) announced that neither Smith nor Warner would be able to play in the 2018 IPL.
Bancroft was contracted to play for English side
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
in the
2018 County Championship
The 2018 County Championship, known as the 2018 Specsavers County Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the 119th cricket County Championship season. As in 2017, Division One has eight teams and Division Two has ten teams, with two teams releg ...
season. On 29 March 2018, Somerset announced that "Bancroft will not be our overseas player for the 2018 season" and that "the club's best interests were at the centre of our decision".
Western Australian Cricket Association
The Western Australian Cricket Association (known as the WACA) is the governing body for cricket in Western Australia.
The WACA was formed on 5 November 1885. In 1893 the association opened the WACA Ground.
Elite cricket
The WACA is responsible ...
CEO
Christina Matthews confirmed that under their current rules Bancroft cannot play
grade cricket
Grade cricket, also known as Premier Cricket is the name of the senior inter-club or district cricket competitions in each of the Australian states and territories. The term may refer to:
*Victorian Premier Cricket
* NSW Premier Cricket
* Queens ...
because of his suspension. However, she added, a rule change is under consideration.
Sutherland specifically addressed repeatedly broadcast footage of coach
Darren Lehmann
Darren Scott Lehmann (born 5 February 1970) is an Australian cricket coach and former cricketer who coached the Australian national team. Lehmann made his ODI debut in 1996 and Test debut in 1998. He was on the fringes of national selection fo ...
. It showed him on a walkie-talkie to 12th man
Peter Handscomb
Peter Stephen Patrick Handscomb (born 26 April 1991) is an Australian cricketer who is the current captain for the Victoria cricket team.
He plays as a middle-order batsman and occasional wicketkeeper. Handscomb has played for Australia in Te ...
at the side of the field after the vision of Bancroft was broadcast. Hanscomb then ran onto the field to speak with Bancroft. Sutherland said that the CA investigators were satisfied that Lehmann "sent a message to say 'What in the hell is going on?'– he didn't use 'hell', he used another word", referring to an expletive and that he was not aware of the plan.
Responses from players and coach
![DARREN LEHMANN (11705311686)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/DARREN_LEHMANN_%2811705311686%29.jpg)
Warner was the first to respond publicly. In a tweet dated 29 March 2018, he apologised for his part in the incident, and took responsibility for his role in it. He said that he would spend some time with his family, friends and trusted advisers, and would make another statement in the coming days. He later arrived at Sydney Airport with his wife and two young daughters, and when confronted by media, repeated that he would make a statement in the coming days, and that his priority was to get his family home.
Bancroft arrived in Perth on 29 March 2018, and gave a press conference at the
WACA. An emotional Bancroft expressed disappointment, regret and remorse, admitting that he had failed as a role model and in the eyes of the broader community, and that when confronted on the field by the umpires and media about his actions he panicked. He asked for forgiveness and said that he would be contributing back to the community.
Smith arrived in Sydney later that day. In a press conference at Sydney Airport, a tearful Smith started by saying that he had nothing to add to Cricket Australia's report. He said that as captain of the Australian cricket team, he took full responsibility, and that he had made a serious error in judgement: "It was a failure of leadership, my leadership." As well as apologising to his "teammates, to fans of cricket all over the world and to all Australians who are disappointed and angry", he specifically referred to the effect that the incident had on his parents, causing him to break down, and implored others faced with questionable decisions to consider their parents. He added, "I know I will regret this for the rest of my life. I'm absolutely gutted. I hope in time I can earn back respect and forgiveness."
Australia's coach
Darren Lehmann
Darren Scott Lehmann (born 5 February 1970) is an Australian cricket coach and former cricketer who coached the Australian national team. Lehmann made his ODI debut in 1996 and Test debut in 1998. He was on the fringes of national selection fo ...
was cleared by the investigation of any wrongdoing or involvement in the scandal, and said that he would not resign. Of the findings and sanctions, he said that he was "embarrassed" and "disappointed", adding that he hopes people will give all three players a second chance.
However, on the same day that the three players returned home, Lehmann announced that he would step down from his role after the conclusion of the fourth Test in
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...
. He said in his statement that after watching the press conferences of Bancroft and Smith, "the feeling is that Australian cricket needs to move forward and this is the right thing to do."
On 31 March 2018, an emotional Warner gave a press conference in Sydney. In it, he described his actions as inexcusable and deeply regrettable. He apologised for the breach of trust and his actions, accepting full responsibility for the part he played in the incident, and said that the next twelve months would be a tough and emotional time for him. His priority at this time would be the wellbeing of his family. While he hoped to play for Australia again, he was resigned for it not to happen. He said he would spend the coming weeks and months looking at himself "as a man", and would seek advice and expertise to make "serious changes". He supported a CA investigation into the culture of the Australian cricket side. When asked, he said that he would sit down with family, friends and advisers before deciding on his playing future. Some noted that he deflected multiple questions about whether he was the ringleader of the plan or others' involvement in it.
Disputing the charges and sanctions
In the press release announcing the findings and sanctions, Cricket Australia summarised the review process.
"The Code of Conduct process in this instance is as follows:
* A report is lodged by the CEO with the Head of Integrity;
* A review is completed by the Head of Integrity; A Notice of Charge (in conjunction with the report) is provided to the player which includes a specific charge under the Code of Conduct and offers the proposed sanctions;
* If the player accepts the charge and proposed sanctions, the matter is completed;
* If the player disputes either the charge or sanctions, there is a hearing before a CA Commissioner;
* The player may appeal the outcome of that hearing, and if so there is a hearing before an Appeals Commissioner (who is selected from the remaining CA Commissioners)."
It was reported on 31 March 2018 that Bancroft had sought legal advice and is considering his options.
It was further reported on 1 April 2018 that all three had sought legal advice and are considering their actions, and importantly that while they all acknowledge erring in Cape Town, they had not formally accepted or challenged their charges or their sanctions issued by CA.
It was also reported that Smith and Warner were expected to push for a relaxation of the sanctions, particularly to allow them to play domestic cricket in Australia and overseas.
James Sutherland of CA had previously said that the legal advice they had received was that they did not have jurisdiction requiring other national cricketing bodies to enforce the sanctions. "Under the code we didn't have any clear authority over domestic matches played overseas," he said. "It was talked about but we ascertained based on the legal advice that we didn't have that clear authority.
On 4 April 2018, Steve Smith confirmed that he would not challenge the sanctions. In a tweet, he said "I would give anything to have this behind me and be back representing my country. But I meant what I said about taking full responsibility as Captain of the team. I won't be challenging the sanctions. They've been imposed by CA to send a strong message and I have accepted them."
Also on 4 April 2018, Cameron Bancroft announced that he had advised CA that he accepted the sanction. He tweeted "Today I lodged the paperwork with Cricket Australia and will be accepting the sanction handed down. I would love to put this behind me and will do whatever it takes to earn back the trust of the Australian public. Thank you to all those who have sent messages of support."
On 5 April 2018, David Warner announced that he has accepted the CA sanctions. In a tweet, he said "I have today let Cricket Australia know that I fully accept the sanctions imposed on me. I am truly sorry for my actions and will now do everything I can to be a better person, teammate and role model."
Cricket Australia, in a press release dated 5 April 2018, confirmed that "Smith, Bancroft and Warner have officially advised Cricket Australia they have accepted the charges and sanctions, and no hearings will be required." CA CEO James Sutherland added that "These are significant penalties for professional cricketers. They were not imposed lightly. We know the players will return to playing the game they love, and in doing so, we hope they rebuild their careers and regain the trust of fans".
Cultural review
When announcing the initial findings against Bancroft, Smith and Warner on 27 March 2018, James Sutherland announced that there would also be a deeper review of the "culture and conduct" of Australia's professional cricket teams.
The terms of reference of that inquiry is to find a means by which supporters of Australian cricket and the wider community can effectively refresh their commitment to the sport. Further details of the review will be forthcoming, but it will seek input from 'relevant experts', especially to determine how the culture of the Australian men's test side arrived at the point at which it has found itself. Former Australian captain, selector and CA Board member
Allan Border
Allan Robert Border (born 27 July 1955) is an Australian cricket commentator and former international cricketer. A batsman, Border was for many years the captain of the Australian team. His playing nickname was "A.B.". He played 156 Test ma ...
welcomed the review, saying that "The Australian cricket team itself is not a popular cricket team, and a lot of their antics on the field have upset a lot of people."
On 6 April 2018, Cricket Australia chairman David Peever
announced that former Test batsman
Rick McCosker will chair an independent review into cultural, organisational and governance issues, and a player-driven process to set out a charter setting out standards for improved player behaviour and expectations of the Australian men's national side. He is expected to be joined by two former players and two current players on a panel, with that quartet yet to be named. That process will form part of the wide-ranging review, which will provide recommendations to the Cricket Australia board. Peter Collins, Director of the Centre for Ethical Leadership and a consultant on ethics, leadership and organisational change will act as a "facilitator" for the process. Peever added that the review will take "whatever time is necessary".
The chief executive of the ICC,
Dave Richardson, addressed a news conference on 27 April 2018 about harsher punishments for ball-tampering and other misbehaviour.
Responses to the investigation and sanctions
Before the start of play of the fourth Test between Australia and South Africa on 30 March 2018, newly appointed Australian captain
Tim Paine
Timothy David Paine (born 8 December 1984) is an Australian cricketer and a former captain of the Australia national cricket team in Test cricket. A right-handed batsman and a wicket-keeper, he plays for the Tasmanian Tigers in Australian dome ...
, with the support of his players, approached South African captain
Faf du Plessis
Francois "Faf" du Plessis ( ; born 13 July 1984) is a South African professional cricketer and former captain of the South Africa national cricket team. He is considered one of the greatest fielders of all time and is among the best all-forma ...
. After the national anthems were played, both teams shook hands on the field as a gesture of goodwill and respect. Paine hopes that this will become a ritual that symbolises the new direction and attitude his team is taking after the fallout from Cape Town.
While no one contended that the charges and findings against Bancroft, Smith and Warner were not justified, many argued that the sanctions were unprecedented, and that there were flaws in the Cricket Australia (CA) description of the incident. Some did not separate the event—an attempt at ball tampering—from the wider charge brought against the trio of bringing the game into disrepute.
On 29 March 2018, the
Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA), which represents the professional
first-class cricket
First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officia ...
ers of Australia, released a statement setting out "a number of glaring and clear anomalies in the process to date which causes the ACA to query the severity and proportionality of the proposed sanctions." It went on to say that "The ACA continues to provide welfare and legal support to all players" and that "All Australians would understand the right of the players to receive advice from their advisers, peers and family and the time necessary to ensure the sanctions are fair and proportional." Some see this as the ACA foreshadowing a challenge to CA over the process and sanctions.
Du Plessis, who was found guilty of ball tampering in
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
and again in
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
, sent Smith a text message expressing his sympathy. He said that "he's one of the good guys and he's just been caught in a bad place". He agreed when asked if he thought that the sanctions were too harsh. He noted that the sanctions imposed by CA were far greater than those imposed by the ICC for the same incident, and may send a message to the ICC that "maybe they need to sharpen up."
Shane Warne
Shane Keith Warne (13 September 1969 – 4 March 2022) was an Australian international cricketer, whose career ran from 1991 to 2007. Warne played as a right-arm leg spin bowler and a right-handed batsman for Victoria, Hampshire and Australi ...
, former Australian Test bowler who served a one-year ban for breaching the CA drug code in 2003, condemned the trio for engaging in "premeditated cheating", but believed that the public reaction to the incident resulted in excessive penalties being handed down by CA.
English cricket commentator
Mark Nicholas
Mark Charles Jefford Nicholas (born 29 September 1957) is an English cricket commentator and former cricketer and broadcaster. He played for Hampshire from 1978 to 1995, captaining them from 1985 to his retirement.
Nicholas was born in West ...
wrote "Clearly the captaincy had to go, and equally clearly the vice-captaincy. The punishment that has followed has been extremely severe, and I cannot help but think of Smith and Bancroft."
Former Indian captain
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (; ; born 24 April 1973) is an Indian former international cricketer who captained the Indian national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the all time highest run-sco ...
argued that the right decision had been made to uphold the integrity of the game, adding "Winning is important but the way you win is more important." However he defended them, saying that the Australian cricketers have dealt with enough criticism. He also urged media and cricket fans to spare thoughts for their families and that they should be given some breathing space.
Former South African player
Herschelle Gibbs
Herschelle Herman Gibbs (born 23 February 1974) is a South African cricket coach and former cricketer, who played all formats of the game for fourteen years. A right-handed batsman, mostly opened the batting, Gibbs became the first player to hi ...
said, "Hard scenes watching the interviews. Having been through it all, take it on the chin and live with the consequences but remain true to yourself."
Former Australian captain and commentator
Ian Chappell
Ian Michael Chappell (born 26 September 1943) is a former cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. He captained Australia between 1971 and 1975 before taking a central role in the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation. Born ...
said that CA were right to ban Smith and Warner for twelve months, adding that he did not expect Smith would captain Australia again because he had lost the respect of the players. On the duration of the ban, he said "if they would have only given six months to them and they tried to play in Australia's next summer, the booing and crowd reaction would have been so bad. It would have been very hard for the players and it would not have been a very good situation for Cricket Australia."
Former England captain
Michael Vaughan
Michael Paul Vaughan (born 29 October 1974) is an English cricket commentator and former cricketer who played all forms of the game. He served as England captain for the test team from 2003 to 2008, the one-day international team from 200 ...
thought the bans too harsh, but noted that CA had sent a message to players. Former Australian batsman
Tom Moody
Thomas Masson Moody (born 2 October 1965) is a former Australian international cricketer and current Director of Cricket of Sri Lanka Cricket. He ended his long tenure with the Indian Premier League team Sunrisers Hyderabad in August 2022 and ...
believed that the punishment did not fit the crime. Indian commentator
Harsha Bhogle
Harsha Bhogle (born 19 July 1961) is an Indian cricket commentator and journalist. He’s widely known as a "voice of cricket". Bhogle has cemented his reputation as being a personality in the global cricket broadcasting industry.
Early lif ...
said that "I honestly do not believe any other country would have handed its captain and lead player a one-year ban for attempted ball-tampering." Meanwhile, former Indian batsman and commentator
Sanjay Manjrekar was not surprised by the sanctions. Other cricketers came out in support of the banned players, saying that punishment was too harsh, including
Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh (born 3 July 1980) is a member of parliament in Rajya Sabha and an Indian retired cricketer and cricket commentator, who played for the Indian national cricket team from 1998 - 2016. Singh was a right-arm spin bowler. In India ...
,
Russel Arnold
Russel Premakumaran Arnold ( Tamil: ரசல் பிரேமகுமரன் ஆனோல்ட், born 25 October 1973), or Russel Arnold, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer of Tamil descent, who played all forms of the game. He played ...
,
Michael Di Venuto and
Adam Hollioake.
Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir (; born 14 October 1981) is an Indian politician and former cricketer, who has played all formats of the game. He is a current member of the Lok Sabha since 2019. He received the Padma Shri from the Government of India in 2019, t ...
, the former captain of the IPL side
Delhi Daredevils
Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils) are a franchise cricket team based out of Delhi in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The franchise is jointly owned by the GMR Group and the JSW Group. The team's home ground is Arun Jaitley Stadiu ...
commented that the sanctions imposed on Smith and Warner are quite harsh, and suspected that both may have paid for their roles in a 10-month pay dispute with CA that was resolved in August 2017.
In a tweet he asked the Australian media and the public to spare thoughts for the families of the disgraced cricketers rather than mocking them. Gambhir also said that "I may be quite emotional but Smith doesn't look to me a cheat."
Some criticised CA for its handling of the incident. Former Australian captain
Michael Clarke believed that there was more to the incident than CA CEO James Sutherland had said, tweeting "The truth, The full story, Accountability and Leadership- until the public get this Australian cricket is in deep shit!" and that "To
icmany reputations on the line for the full story not to come out. Cape Town change room is a very small place!" Michael Vaughan was similarly unconvinced, suggesting that Cricket Australia has only made things worse for itself by finding that only three players were involved. Former England wicket-keeper
Matt Prior
Matthew James Prior (born 26 February 1982) is a South African-born English former cricketer, who played for England in Test cricket and for Sussex County Cricket Club in domestic cricket. He was a wicket-keeper and his aggressive right-handed ...
said the official explanation didn't match up with his experiences of how teams work. Former England all-rounder
Andrew Flintoff
Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff (born 6 December 1977) is an English television and radio presenter and former international cricketer. Flintoff played all forms of the game and was one of the sport's leading all-rounders, a fast bowler, middle-ord ...
was skeptical that other Australian players, particularly the bowlers, were not involved. Former England batsman
Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Peter Pietersen (born 27 June 1980) is a cricket commentator, conservationist, and former England international cricket player. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who played in all three formats for England betw ...
was unconvinced that coach Darren Lehmann did not know of the plan, while
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...
believed that there were contradictions in the official narrative.
From the outset, many of Cricket Australia's commercial sponsors and partners, including 2018 South African tour naming rights sponsor
expressed their disappointment and shock over the incident. Many demanded a comprehensive explanation from CA, and demanded that they take steps to protect the long term reputation of the sport they had invested in.
On 29 March 2018, Magellan Financial Group terminated its three-year naming rights sponsorship agreement with CA in response to the ball-tampering scandal. The contract had two more seasons to run, and was estimated to be worth
20 million.
The incident came as CA was negotiating television broadcast rights to all forms of the game for the next six seasons, estimated at one point to be valued at greater than AU$900 million. Bidding has not been as high as CA expected, and some expect that the ball tampering incident may further affect those negotiations.
On 28 March, Smith and Warner were banned from the 2018 edition of the IPL. Both the players were going to make A$2.4 million.
On 11 April 2018, Cricket Australia announced the list of 20 players who have been awarded national contracts for 2018–19. Bancroft, Smith and Warner were not on that list, and they were not mentioned in the media release.
stated that his county would be willing to sign either Smith or Warner during their ban from international cricket.
company in Australia announced that they had chosen not to renew their personal sponsorship of Warner on 27 March 2018, citing "recent events". Warner had been in a commercial arrangement with LG since 2014. That arrangement was in its final weeks and was being considered for renewal at the time of his suspension. As well as this incident, his behaviour came under the spotlight during the first Test of the tour after the dismissal of South African batsman
.
as they were leaving the field. Warner's teammates intervened to separate them. Both were charged by the match referee and penalised. Earlier in this Test, Warner was involved in a heated exchange with a spectator after being dismissed in Australia's first innings. The spectator was ejected from the ground.
terminated their commercial arrangements with Warner and Bancroft. The Commonwealth Bank terminated their brand ambassador arrangement with Smith, as did Sanitarium for whom Smith was an ambassador for their
product.
Bancroft was the first of three banned players to return to Australian professional cricket. On 30 December 2018, he represented the
.
going on to win the game by six wickets.
The bans on Smith and Warner ended on 29 March 2019, coinciding with the date of the fourth
in the United Arab Emirates, however neither made their international return until the first match of the
. The trio made their returns to the Test arena at
, with Smith’s scores of 144 and 142 earning him the man of the match award as Australia beat England by 251 runs.
In February 2020, Smith and Warner were named in Australia's
squads for their tour to South Africa. They both played in the opening
(T20I) match of the tour, the first time they had represented Australia in South Africa since their bans.
Cricket Australia has reopened an investigation into the scandal after Bancroft hinted that some bowlers also knew about it.
'' based on the return of the Australian team after the 2018 ball-tampering scandal was streamed on
on 11 March 2020 with 8 episodes.
, a baseball pitch where a substance has been illegally added to the ball to alter its flight characteristics
*