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Australia’s captain, Steve Smith, speaking during a press conference in Cape Town as he admitted to ball-tampering during the third Test against South Africa on Saturday. Image Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Steve Smith, Australian cricketer and national team captain, admitted to ball tampering in the third test match against South Africa and stepped down from captaincy early on Sunday. David Warner also stepped down from the vice-captain position of the team. 

Now Smith is expected to face a harsh sanction from under-pressure Cricket Australia for his role in the plot which saw teammate Cameron Bancroft (pictured here) tamper with the ball by using yellow sticky tape before desperately trying to conceal the evidence down the front of his trousers.

Following this, the International Cricket Council suspended Smith from playing one test match. The Australian Sports Commission (ASC), the governing body of sport, called for the immediate standing down of Smith and anyone else in the team or entourage who knew about the conspiracy.

His team's weekend of shame then ended in a crushing 322-run rout. Set an unlikely 430 to win, Australia were bowled out for a paltry 107 with fast bowler Morne Morkel taking five for 23. Smith, also docked 100 percent of his match fee by the ICC, will definitely miss the fourth and final Test in Johannesburg from Friday due to his ban.

However, Bancroft, the 25-year-old opening batsman, escaped an ICC suspension. He was instead fined 75 percent of his fee, warned and hit by three demerit points.


Hue and cry

Cricket Australia had resisted widespread calls for the immediate sacking of Smith after he admitted overseeing ball-tampering during the third Test in South Africa.


Commentators in Australia and across the world have called for him to go, with some saying the team should forfeit the Test and fly home.


On Sunday afternoon the ASC – the government body that oversees and funds the nation’s sporting organisations – called for Smith’s immediate removal.


In an online poll, a majority (70 per cent) of Gulf News readers voted for a lifetime ban on players caught at ball-tampering, while around 30 per cent said hefty fines would suffice as punishment.


Losing endorsements and money

Australia's major cricket sponsors, including Qantas Airways, breakfast cereal maker Sanitarium, and brewer Lion, said on Monday they were assessing their relationship with the country's favourite pastime as the fallout from a ball-tampering scandal escalates.

The incident, which Australian captain Steve Smith said involved senior players hatching a plan to tamper with the ball during a game against rival South Africa, also threatens to upset current negotiations over broadcast rights.


Weetbix-maker Sanitarium, which counts Smith as a brand ambassador, said it was reviewing its sponsorship pending the outcome of an investigation by governing body Cricket Australia. "Certainly it's under review as the actions taken by the team in South Africa don't align with our own values  Sanitarium does not condone cheating in sport," Sanitarium said in a statement.

The sentiment was mirrored by almost all of the sport's commercial partners in Australia, including Qantas, apparel sponsor ASICS, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, insurer Bupa, Specsavers, Toyota, and brewer Lion.

 Like the rest of Australia, we're deeply concerned," a Lion spokesman said in a statement. "This is not what you'd expect from anyone in sport at any level."


Singapore Telecommunications' Optus, which is a commercial partner and broadcasts cricket on its mobile network, said it would not comment on the incident as it was a matter for Cricket Australia.

The sport's past heroes, including the late Sir Donald Bradman, are revered for their conduct as much as their victories, helping create a clean, attractive brand to attract corporate sponsors. That's now tarnished.

"This is deeply disappointing and certainly not what anyone expects from our national cricket team," Qantas said in a statement. "We are in discussions with Cricket Australia as this issue unfolds." Cricket Australia earned A$338.4 million ($261 million) in media, sponsorship and spectator fees in the financial year ended June 30, 2017, according to its most recent annual report. The value of its individual sponsorships are not disclosed.


At the worst time

The ball-tampering incident has struck at the climax of talks about a five-year broadcast rights deal with Australian television networks.

Long-term cricket broadcaster Nine Entertainment declined to comment on Monday. 

Cricket players and the governing body have also recently come out of a bruising pay dispute.

Independent media analyst Peter Cox said the ball-tampering scandal could prove disastrous for cricket's reputation and negotiating clout in Australia.

"It could not have possibly come at a worse time," Cox told Reuters in a phone interview.

"The individual incident will eventually blow over but they will lose a segment of the viewing market because of this." 


Australia and cricket

The camera vision of Australian player Cameron Bancroft hiding a piece of yellow tape that was used to try and rough up the ball to benefit the bowler has stunned a sports-loving nation where "back-yard" and "beach" cricket are a national hobby. 

The position of Australian cricket captain is even locally referred to as the second most important position behind the Prime Minister.

Indeed, Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull intervened on Sunday to demand quick action from Cricket Australia.

Cricket Australia said in a statement it would present the findings of its inquiry on Wednesday, local time.

"We understand that everyone wants answers, but we must follow our due diligence before any further decisions are made," Cricket Australia Chairman David Peever said.