Did Steve Smith make the right decision to stand down as Australia captain during the South Africa series?

Here, our two writers discuss whether Smith made the right decision to stand down temporarily.

STUART APPLEBY, SAYS YES

After Australia’s 4-0 Ashes triumph, the victorious captain – who top-scored with 687 runs in the series – earned comparisons as the heir to Sir Donald Bradman’s throne. What a difference two and a half months makes.

Smith’s reputation is now in tatters, regardless of whether or not he is one of the world’s best batsman. This incident alone has undone plenty of that work and it’s a real shame, given he had grown to be a respected figure in the game globally. But, at the end of the day, he and the ‘leadership team’ around him had no choice but to fall on their sword – at least some of the way – quickly.

It’s actually remarkable Cricket Australia’s statement stated that the captain and vice-captain had agreed to pass on their duties in Cape Town, it’s as if they were just given an option and not ultimatum. Obviously, it had to be the latter and they shouldn’t have been given a say in the matter – though they made the right decision.

This isn’t an incident to just let the dust settle and then bring Smith back as captain – he has no real choice but to step down for good now, beyond the South Africa series.

In fact, it looks likely he will go permanently before he is pushed. An investigation will only put concrete evidence to paper but we more or less know the full story already and the Australian hierarchy have been put in in a position whereby Smith’s role is untenable.

For the remainder of the Newlands match and indeed series, it will be difficult enough for Smith to concentrate on batting and just playing cricket, so he had to relinquish the captaincy duties.

There have been other ball-tampering scandals and controversies down the years but this scraps the barrell. He just didn’t need to do it especially with the calibre of attack at his disposal. The risks involved were huge and he has effectively thrown a youngster under a bus in the form of Cameron Bancroft.

His and Smith’s name will forever have a black mark against it now, whatever happens. Indeed, this incident has already opened wounds up in other areas with his Rajasthan Royals captaincy now in question.

ALEX BROUN, SAYS NO

Here is a brief list of people who called on Steve Smith to be removed as Australian skipper following “sandpaper gate”(in no particular order): John Cleese, Malcolm Turnbull, Adam Gilchrist, Hugh Riminton, Michael Clarke, Atul Khatri, East India Company, Michael Tomalaris, Allan Lamb, Andy the Marionette, Rodney Hogg, Michael Vaughan, Kevin Pietersen and Graeme Smith..

And that was just in a few hours on Sunday morning.

The ever-growing lynch-mob got their request when Cricket Australia announced that Smith and First-Lieutenant-in-shame, David Warner, would “stand down” as captain and vice-captain for the rest of the Test.

“Sandpaper-gate”, closely following on “stairwell-gate”, has also been compared to “underarm” as the greatest moment of ignominy in Australia’s proud sporting history. But at least, the wags point out, what Trevor Chappell did was legal.

What Cameron Bancroft had in his pants was certainly not that.

We may never know who came up with the idea to tamper with the ball in the Cape Town dressing room but Smith clearly sanctioned it. Even he admits that.

But does that mean he should immediately stand down as Australian skipper – in the middle of a Test? No.

Cricket Australia announced that they would investigate the incident – as did the ICC – and the normal course of events should have been followed once the match was complete.

Smith is not the first to be caught ball-tampering – nor will he be the last.

Famous names like Tendulkar, Atherton and Inzamam Ul-Haq have been caught up in ball-tampering allegations in the past and the opposing captain – Faf du Plessis – will no doubt be keeping very quiet over the next few days as he has been done for the same offence not once but twice: “mint-gate” in 2016 and even here in Dubai against Pakistan a few years earlier.

Indeed South Africa have been found guilty of ball tampering three times in the last five years with Vernon Philander the other culprit.

Was du Plessis forced to resign mid-match? Or Philander instantly banned? No.

So why should Smith suffer this harshest fate?

Like any sport cricket has its own disciplinary code and procedures. They should have been followed in this case.

Pre-empting that process was a very foolish move by CA indeed. But that is something they are quite synonymous with.