Bounced out: year ban for Steve Smith, David Warner

Steve Smith’s fall from grace is complete, banished for 12 months while David Warner has received an even harsher sanction.

Steve Smith’s fall from grace is complete, the skipper banished for 12 months and banned from leadership roles for two years, while David Warner has received an even harsher sanction as the Cricket Australia board made clear its contempt for the opener.

The cricket body handed down a one-year ban to Warner, Smith’s vice-captain, but he has been blocked from holding a leadership role for the rest of his career after being found to have developed the plan to tamper with the ball and instructed Cameron Bancroft to carry out the plan.

GRAPHIC: Bans breakdown

In a further blow to the players’ shredded reputations, Cricket Australia also revealed its investigation had found Cameron Bancroft used sandpaper to tamper with the ball — not sticky tape as he and Smith claimed after they were caught. Bancroft was given a nine-month ban and is banned from leadership roles for another 12 months.

The bans will cost Warner and Smith at least $5m each in the next financial year from their contracts and personal sponsorships.

Players, including Smith and Warner, have been consulting lawyers and plotting a response that will test initial claims from Cricket Australia’s investigation that the ball-tampering crisis was limited to the three players named and shamed by chief executive James Sutherland.

The banned trio cannot play for Australia, their states or their Big Bash League franchises. The IPL announced last night neither Warner nor Smith would play take up their $2.4m contracts this year. Smith, Warner and Bancroft will each receive their minimum contracted salaries while suspended. Cricket Australia contracts expire on June 30.

Smith broke the news to his teammates in the foyer of the hotel in Johannesburg after learning his fate yesterday morning. There were tears in players’ eyes as they farewelled the fallen skipper. He then left to fly to Australia.

The bans mean Smith and Warner will miss nine Tests, including the home summer series against India and Sri Lanka, and a 2019 tour of Pakistan. They will also be rubbed out for at least 18 one-day internationals and six T20 internationals. They would be available for the Ashes tour to England next year.

Cameron Bancroft. Picture: Getty Images.

Warner has been in the sights of Cricket Australia directors for some time. He has been criticised by Mr Sutherland in the past for his onfield behaviour but his leadership role during the pay dispute upset administrators. Warner is expected to launch legal action against the organisation.

Replacements for the trio flew in yesterday, but what was left of the Australian cricket team could not summon the energy to train yesterday. Sides traditionally have their biggest training session two days out from the Test. While few players are focused on cricket, they deny there is talk of wanting to forfeit the match.

David Warner. Picture: AP.

In a press conference televised live across South ­Africa, Australia and Britain, Mr Sutherland said that a 24-hour inquiry into the ball-tampering affair had found only Smith, Warner and Bancroft knew of the plan. “These sanctions will reflect the gravity with which we view what has occurred and the damage it has done to the standing of Australian cricket,” he said.

“The key finding is that prior knowledge of the ball-tampering incident was limited to three ­players … No other players or support staff had prior knowledge and this includes Darren Lehmann who, despite inaccurate media ­reports, has not resigned from his position. He will continue to coach the ­Australian men’s team under his current contract.”