Steve Smith accepts ban, looks to Australia A return in 2019

The former Australian captain has decided to accept his 12-month ban and it appears David Warner and Cameron Bancroft will too.

Steve Smith during his emotional press conference at Sydney Airport.

Former Australian captain Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft have accepted their fate and may have to play for Australia A in ­England next year as a path back to the 2019 Ashes after accepting their bans.

Cricket Australia said yesterday any attempt by the three banned players to have their ball-tampering bans modified would have to be done in a Code of Conduct hearing before a commissioner.

Smith, Bancroft and David Warner were given bans from all international and state cricket, including the Big Bash League, after a brief investigation into the use of sandpaper on the ball in the Cape Town Test.

Smith and Bancroft decided yesterday to accept their fate and it appears Warner will too, but he has until this afternoon to decide.

“I would give anything to have this behind me and be back representing my country,” Smith said yesterday. “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.”

Smith and Warner were given 12-month bans and Bancroft nine months. Smth and Bancroft accepted they could not play Tests until the bans were lifted and were resigned to missing the homes series against Sri Lanka and India but were hoping to be allowed to play some Sheffield Shield cricket in 2018-19.

Warner was keen to have his day in court and there are concerns over the nature of the 24-hour investigation, but his overriding desire is to play cricket again and, like the other two, he believes the way back is to accept the sanctions without complaint.

The players were concerned there would be a backlash if they had a hearing. The Australian Cricketers’ Association and other international players claimed the sanctions were too harsh.

Attempts to play county cricket in the English summer have reportedly been frustrated by the England and Wales Cricket Board. There is a convention that overseas boards respect the bans of home boards and even the IPL blocked Warner and Smith from playing this year.

There is an Australia A series in England ahead of the Ashes and after Smith and Warner’s 12-month playing bans expire — Smith and Warner’s bans lift on March 29; Bancroft’s on December 29 this year. The players were hoping to at least be able to play some Shield cricket in the second half of the 2018-19 summer, arguing that to stop that effectively extended the bans as they could not return to the national side without playing first-class games.

Sydney club cricket will be boosted by the presence of Smith and Warner — two of the best batsmen in the world — who will be returning to where they made a name for themselves as teenagers. Both would be expected to draw big crowds, as Michael Clarke did after retiring as Test captain.

International Cricket Council chief executive David Richardson conceded yesterday that ball tampering needs to be monitored more closely by umpires.

The cricket boss admitted, however, that while penalties needed to increase, the reliance on local broadcasters makes intercepting incidents difficult.

“The world, not only Australia, regards ball tampering in a very serious light ... we’ve identified a need to perhaps look at the level of penalty,” Richardson said.

“It’s very difficult to enforce. What makes it even more difficult is if you accuse a player of tampering with the ball, you are effectively accusing someone of cheating.

“The match officials are therefore quite reluctant to step in until they’re absolutely sure.

“We’re aware ball tampering to some degree takes place ... we are now getting a sense that teams might be going to even more extraordinary lengths.”