Tampering: Steve Smith and David Warner set to lose $2.4m IPL deals

David Warner and Steve Smith face the prospect of a multimillion-dollar expulsion from the IPL.

Paceman Mitchell Starc arrives at the team hotel in Cape Town after the third Test defeat. Picture: Nasief Manie/WP Media

David Warner is set to be banned by Cricket Australia for the fourth Test and likely beyond as he and Steve Smith also face the prospect of a multimillion-dollar expulsion from the Indian Premier League.

Cricket Australia chiefs headed by James Sutherland are preparing to hand down landmark punishments tomorrow in Cape Town in response to the explosive revelations of cheating, with captain Steve Smith, Darren Lehmann, Warner and Cameron Bancroft all in the eye of the storm.

As well as being stripped of their leadership positions, there is also the prevailing feeling Smith and Warner face lengthy suspensions from international cricket which could include the lucrative IPL where they both stand to pocket $2.4 million.

It’s understood there are serious discussions going on behind closed doors in India about whether Smith and Warner — captains of their respective franchises Rajasthan and Hyderabad — should be allowed to compete in next month’s tournament at all.

If Cricket Australia rub Smith and Warner out for longer than just the one Test match in Johannesburg — which is anticipated — the span of the suspension will cross over into the period of the IPL.

The BCCI and franchises would be hesitant about going against CA’s ruling, although it might not even come to that if Cricket Australia were to exercise their right to refuse Smith and Warner permission to play in the IPL — a measure which is well within their power.

Shane Warne was banned by the Australian Cricket Board for 12 months for taking a banned diuretic tablet in 2003 and the governing body has also come down just as hard on players for betting on cricket.

Smith and Lehmann are seen as ultimately culpable given the leadership positions they hold in the Australian set-up, but Warner is being fingered as a central figure.

Questions will be asked by head of integrity Iain Roy and head of team performance Pat Howard as to why Warner was relieved of his customary ‘ball shiner’ duties for the third Test, only to be replaced by the youngest member of the side, Cameron Bancroft.

Warner’s heavily taped hands were the subject of mass scrutiny from television cameras during the second Test in Port Elizabeth as South African players and broadcasters suspected ball tampering from the Australians was at play.

Irate Australian Test cricketers will seek union support to have their names distanced from the game’s ball-tampering scandal. The final fatal blow to Smith’s captaincy may come in the form of a protest from players who are guilty by association in the scandal.

Smith said the decision to get Bancroft to tamper with the ball in the third Test in Cape Town was made by the leadership group which also includes Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

The decision to stand Warner down from the vice-captaincy for the final day of the Cape Town Test was a strong pointer to his guilt because he was interviewed by high-ranking officials before that decision was made.

But it is understood several of the other players are furious at being linked with the scandal and plan to contact the Australian Cricketers Association in the hope they will demand Cricket Australia clarify their lack of involvement.

There was a suggestion that while Warner and Smith knew the plan from top to bottom some of the others were brought in late and told what was happening.

London’s The Sun newspaper yesterday claimed Warner “shamelessly’’ revealed to a group of England players how he roughs up the ball. The Sun alleged Warner’s claimed he used substances attached to the strapping on his hand to aid the deterioration of the ball.