Sports

ICC bans Australian Skipper Steve Smith For 1 Match & Fined Entire Match Fee For Ball Tampering

INDIAN  Premier League (IPL)  kicking  off  on April  7  is awaiting report  from  ICC  on Steve Smith’s involvement in ball tampering by his colleague  during  the third test match between Australia and South Africa in Cape Town. Smith has been appointed skipper of Rajasthan Royals owned by Bollywood personality Shilpa Shetty.RR, which is participating in the upcoming IPL after remaining under suspension for two editions on the allegation that its some players and a functionary were guilty of committing irregularities, is also relying on instruction from IPL authorities. Australian Government has meanwhile called for Smith’s removal as the country’s cricket skipper without further delay for bringing disrepute to the game. Smith is quoted by BBC, CNN and other channels as saying he was not    “stepping down” as Australian captain after he and his leadership group instructed Cameron Bancroft to tamper with the ball. Australian cricket team admits to ball tampering to get an advantage in the third Test. Captain Steve Smith says team is “deeply regrettable”. Batsman Cameron Bancroft has admitted his guilt and been charged by match officials .Smith has confessed he helped authorise the illegal practice of ball tampering on day three in Cape Town and  Bancroft also confessed committing  the offence and was charged by match officials.”Players hatched the idea of cheating with yellow sticky tape in the hope to capture debris from the pitch and scuff one side of the ball in an attempt to get it to reverse swing at lunch on Saturday. But Bancroft was caught doing it on the field by television cameras and then attempted to hide the evidence by shoving the tape down his pants before he was questioned by umpires, reports Times now other Indian channels. Smith admitted “the leadership group knew about it” but he would not name the other players involved in hatching the plan. He said he had no intention to resign as Australian skipper.”I won’t be considering stepping down. I still think I’m the right person for the job,” Smith told a media conference. The Dubai based International Cricket Council (ICC) says in a statement Smith has admitted a charge of conduct of a serious nature that is contrary to the spirit of the game”.”As captain, Steve Smith must take full responsibility for the actions of his players and it is appropriate that he be suspended,” said ICC chief executive David Richardson. Smith has been banned for one match and fined his entire match fee by the ICC for his part in a ball-tampering incident in the third Test against South Africa, reports Republic TV. Smith, 28, Australian international cricketer was appointed the 45th captain of the Australia national team in 2014 .  As of March 2018, Smith is the top-ranked Test batsman in the world, according to the ICC Player Rankings. He is considered one of the best batsmen in the world.

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