Australia captain Steve Smith has been given a one-match suspension and fined 100 percent of his match fee for his part in ball-tampering incident during the third test against South Africa in Cape Town, the International Cricket Council recently said in a statement.
Smith, who stepped down from the captaincy on Sunday morning, had accepted the charge, cricket’s global governing body further said.
Also, the Australia opener Cameron Bancroft has been fined 75 percent of his match fee and handed three demerit points after he was caught on camera tampering with the ball.
Meanwhile, after ICC announced the punishment for both Smith and Bancroft, Twitter wasn’t ready to spare the former Aussie skipper either for his unsportsmanlike behaviour and for marring the sanctity of the “Gentleman’s game”.
Here are some Twitter reactions:
wow @ICC wow. Great treatment nd FairPlay. No ban for Bancroft with all the evidences whereas 6 of us were banned for excessive appealing in South Africa 2001 without any evidence and Remember Sydney 2008? Not found guilty and banned for 3 matches.different people different rules
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) March 25, 2018
1 Match Ban & 100 % March fee Fine for Smith #ffs … 75% match fee fine for Bancroft and some bloody De merit points for Bancroft … Pathetic penalties for CHEATING … Surely this moment was the time to set a precedent … !!?? All the team should be penalised ..
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 25, 2018
https://twitter.com/KP24/status/977921236209733633
1 match ban for Smith for masterminding ball tampering. Rabada had got 2-match ban for fracas with Warner. Imagine! ICC must reexamine rules
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) March 25, 2018
Down under.
On the globe.
In cricket.
In sportsmanship as well.Really sad what’s happening to this game I love so much 🙁#SandpaperGate #Bancroft #balltampering
— Saiyami Kher (@SaiyamiKher) March 25, 2018
Wow amazing justice! Rabada gets 2 match ban for rude behaviour. Smith gets 1 match for getting his team to cheat #SteveSmith
— SHIVAM (@Imshivam183) March 25, 2018
Looks like @ICC had a brain fade this time to have issued just one match ban for planned ball tampering by #SteveSmith. He’s lucky to be an Aussie. Only if he was an Asian, he would have made understand the gravity of his disgraceful act. Yes, being racist here, just like #ICC.
— Mr. Singhania (@singhaniatweets) March 25, 2018
When he admits they know it, @CricketAus as a team should be banned for sometime! @ICC is just running for money! Thank god in @Olympics they never include cricket. All kids in the international team ! #SteveSmith
— Narayanan Embar (@narayananembar) March 25, 2018
Only one match ban on such a serious offense #SteveSmith ? You got to be joking….
— Ninad (@ninaddesai) March 25, 2018
https://twitter.com/FreelyChained/status/977899642502373378
One match ban for cheating. Absolute joke. Make an example of him and ban him for a long period #SteveSmith #australia #cricket
— James Wilson (@JWillo23) March 25, 2018
Instead of suspending #SteveSmith for one match and making him pay 100% match fees ICC should had made him watch Joker back to back for one day.
— Gajender (@gajender00) March 25, 2018
#SteveSmith #SandpaperGate is this a joke? You strategise to cheat, put a young player upto do the dirty work, blatantly break rules and violate the game and total penalty is a 'One test ban' ! Shame on you @ICC.. you can't run this game for nuts
— Anand Mohan Chitta (@WittysparkCAM) March 25, 2018
Banned for 1 test? Are you f***ing kidding me??? #BALLTAMPERING #SteveSmith
— Vishnu Varma (@VishKVarma) March 25, 2018
Quite disgraceful that #SteveSmith and Bancroft are getting away with a slap on the wrist for pre meditated cheating! #DoubleStandards #sandpapergate #SAvsAUS
— prashanta (@prashiepp) March 25, 2018
Steve Smith has been fined 100% of his match fee and handed a one Test ban, Cameron Bancroft a 75% fine and three demerit points for ball-tampering incident. IS THIS A JOKE?#sandpapergate #SAvAUS #Balltampering #SteveSmith #Bancroft
— Stephen Harvey (@Sharvey1884) March 25, 2018
https://twitter.com/wasmaz/status/977900684921196545
@ICC you people banned #rabada for that silly physical touch which has not affected or damaged anyone on the field. But the one who has damaged test cricket's image by that #BallTampering incident only 1 test Suspension?😟 #SteveSmith #StopFavouringAussies
— Dhoni_7😎❤ (@CricketSpace14) March 25, 2018
These sledging zeroes from the team #Australia are habitual offenders. This time they just got caught red-handed! The punishment meted out to @stevesmith49 is too less in light of the incident!!#SteveSmith and the so-called #leadershipgroup !#SandpaperGate #balltampering
— Shagun V Kant (@shagunkant) March 25, 2018
Just one match ban 😑 A skipper can plan and cheat and take a break from next match if they get caught. Is this even a punishment? Great!!! #AUSvSA #balltampering #SteveSmith https://t.co/hjjrJTZs30
— Amy 💛 (@gueswhoamiii) March 25, 2018
