Australia captain Steve Smith will be sent home in disgrace from the tour of South Africa for his role in the ball-tampering scandal, but coach Darren Lehmann will remain in charge, team management said Tuesday.
Smith and opening batsman Cameron Bancroft, the player caught on camera attempting to doctor the ball with a piece of tape, will return home for their role in an incident which has dragged Australian cricket’s reputation through the mud.
Vice-captain David Warner, who was previously fined 75 percent of his match fee after an altercation with South Africa’s Quinton de Kock during an earlier match in the bad-tempered Test series, will also leave the tour.
“I understand and share the anger and disappointment of Australian fans,” Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland said at a press conference in Johannesburg on Tuesday night.
“On behalf of cricket Australia, I want to apologise to all Australians that these events have taken place, especially to all the kids.”
He added: “I want to also apologise to cricket South Africa and South African fans that this issue has overshadowed what should have been a great series.”
Further sanctions are expected to be announced shortly after preliminary findings of the investigation into the ball-tampering incident in the third Test in Cape Town are completed, Sutherland said.
#BREAKING: Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft all sent home from South Africa, but Darren Lehmann has not resigned as coach. pic.twitter.com/wL42f5SJx2
— ABC Grandstand (@abcgrandstand) March 27, 2018
Smith has already been suspended for one Test and docked his entire match fee by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for his role in the affair.
Sutherland indicated that the three players could expect tough penalties over the incident last Saturday.
“Sanctions are expected to be announced within the next 24 hours,” he said, declining to state categorically whether they had been cheating.
Bancroft used a strip of yellow sticky tape he had covered with dirt granules to illegally scratch the rough side of the ball, in an attempt to generate more swing for Australia’s bowlers.
He was filmed not only rubbing the ball with the dirtied tape but also concealing the evidence down the front of his trousers.
Smith said after the Test that the Australians’ “leadership group” had been aware of the plan to alter the condition of the ball.
The point many will find hard to reconcile is how Cricket Australia can launch independent review of conduct and culture of Australian men’s team while one of the men responsible for creating that culture, Darren Lehmann, remains as coach
— Andrew Wu (@wutube) March 27, 2018
However, Sutherland insisted Lehmann had had no knowledge of the plot.
“Prior knowledge of the ball tampering incident was limited to three players,” said Sutherland.
“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 Australia men’s team under his current contract.”
Wicketkeeper Tim Paine will take over the captaincy for the fourth and final Test starting in Johannesburg Friday, with hosts South Africa leading the series 2-1.
