The mastermind behind the ball tampering cricket scandal revealed
Ex vice-captain David Warner has been revealed as the mastermind of the ball tampering scandal by Cricket Australia.
The sports governing body has given the charges for each player involved in the incident, which includes David Warner and Steve Smith both being stripped of their leadership abilities and receiving a one-year ban from the sport.
Warner will never be able to be placed in a leadership role again, while Smith is banned from any leadership involvement for 12 months.
Cameron Bancroft will be banned for nine months, after he was caught on camera attempting to hide a piece of sandpaper by putting it down his pants.
On Wednesday, Cricket Australia confirmed that all three players had been charged with a breach of Article 2.3.5 of the code of conduct, which means that their behaviour was “contrary to the spirit of the game” and brought the game into disrepute.
The players also received individual charges, with David Warner being charged with the “development of a plan” to tamper with the surface of the ball.
As well as creating the plan, Warner’s offences also included instructing a junior to carry out the plan, advising him and showing him how to do it.
He also failed to report his knowledge, misled match officials and failed to voluntarily report his knowledge after the incident occurred.
Smith was charged with knowledge of the plan, failure to take steps to prevent it, directing the evidence be concealed, seeking to mislead officials and making misleading public comments regarding the incident.
Bancroft was charged with a breach based on knowledge of the plot, carrying it out, concealing evidence, seeking to mislead officials and making misleading public statements.
CEO of Cricket Australia James Sutherland said he is “satisfied” with the punishments given in order to protect the integrity of cricket.
Shane Warne said the “jump to hysteria” means the “punishment just might not fit the crime”.
“There are those countries that don’t like Australia, don’t like individuals in the team, and there has been a build-up of hate which has exploded and created this tornado of hysteria,” he wrote.
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