Ball Tampering Scandal: Steve Smith, David Warner Banned From IPL 2018, Confirms BCCI
BCCI's move was on cards as it had decided to follow CA's punishment.
After being handed a one-year ban by Cricket Australia (CA), Steve Smith and David Warner have received yet another blow. The duo has now been banned from playing in the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League (IPL). BCCI's move was on cards as it had decided to follow CA's punishment. Along with Cameron Bancroft, the duo was found involved in the ball-tampering scandal during Australia’s third Test against South Africa and subsequently, CA has handed them the punishments. BCCI has now decided to ban both Smith and Warner from participating in IPL 2018.
Smith was earlier removed as Rajasthan Royals’ captain while today, Warner stepped down from Sunrisers Hyderabad captaincy position. The two teams will pick the replacements from the players who went unsold at the IPL 2018 auction.
“They (Cricket Australia) have banned two players and we are also barring these two players from this year’s IPL,” IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla was quoted as saying by PTI.
“We wanted everything in our own hands. First, we waited for ICC’s decision, after that Cricket Australia and then we decided on the matter. We have decided to bar them from this season. The replacements will be made available to the two teams. We did not take any decision in haste, it was a well thought out decision,” he added.
Bancroft was caught on camera fiddling with the condition of the ball during the day three of the Cape Town Test. Subsequently, the opener along with Smith later admitted in a press conference to have altered the condition of the ball in a ploy designed by team’s ‘leadership' group. Following the admission, ICC handed a one-match ban to Smith and fined him 100 per cent of his match fee. Bancroft, on the other hand, was fined just 75 per cent of his match fee.
Australian cricket fans demanded harsh punishment for the players involved in the ball-tampering saga and CA eventually handed the respective bans. Interestingly, head coach Darren Lehmann was given a clean chit.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 28, 2018 03:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).